Shloka 103
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
पलायतां दिशस्तेषां स्वानप्युत्सृज्य बान्धवान्
palāyatāṁ diśas teṣāṁ svān apy utsṛjya bāndhavān
Sañjaya said: As they fled in all directions, they even abandoned their own people and kinsmen—panic overriding loyalty and duty amid the chaos of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear can eclipse dharma: in moments of terror, people may forsake even their closest bonds. Ethically, it warns that panic erodes loyalty and responsibility, revealing the fragility of social and familial duties under extreme violence.
Sañjaya describes a scene of rout and confusion: combatants scatter in every direction, and in their flight they abandon their own companions and relatives. The line underscores the breakdown of order and solidarity during the turmoil of the Sauptika events.