Shloka 74

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

प्रभग्नं च बल॑ दृष्टवा वध्यमानं महारथै: । पराड्मुखांश्व राज्ञस्तु पलायनपरायणान्‌

Transliteration

prabhagnaṃ ca balaṃ dṛṣṭvā vadhyamānaṃ mahārathaiḥ | parāṅmukhāṃś ca rājñas tu palāyanaparāyaṇān ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Seeing the host shattered and being hewn down by the great chariot-warriors, and seeing the kings with faces turned away—bent only on flight—(he beheld resolve collapsing amid the crush of battle).

Word by Word

• प्रभग्नम्: broken, routed
• प्रभग्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभग्न (प्र-√भञ्ज)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• बलम्: army, force
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• वध्यमानम्: being slain
• वध्यमानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्यमान (√वध्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महारथैः: by great chariot-warriors
• महारथैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• पराङ्मुखान्: turned away, facing away
• पराङ्मुखान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराङ्मुख
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• राज्ञः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• पलायनपरायणान्: intent on flight, devoted to fleeing
• पलायनपरायणान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पलायन-परायण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• mahāratha (great chariot-warriors)
• rājānaḥ (kings)
• bala (army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical crisis of war: when an army breaks and leaders turn to flight, collective morale collapses. It implicitly contrasts kṣatriya ideals of steadfastness and protection with the human reality of fear and self-preservation under overwhelming violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a battlefield moment where the force has been routed and is being slaughtered by elite warriors; many kings have turned away from the fight and are focused on escaping, signaling a decisive breakdown in resistance.