Shloka 313
Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
तावकाः: प्रद्रुता राजन् दुर्योधनमृते नृपम् । परंतु सेनाद्वारा उड़ायी हुई धूलसे आच्छादित होनेके कारण शत्रुओंके सैनिक कौरव- सेनाके भागनेकी बात न जान सके। राजन! राजा दुर्योधनके सिवा, आपके सभी योद्धा वहाँसे भाग गये
tāvakāḥ pradrutā rājan duryodhanam ṛte nṛpam | parantu senādvārā uḍāyī huī dhūlase ācchādita honeke kāraṇa śatrūṅke sainik kaurava-senāke bhāgane kī bāta na jān sake | rājan! rājā duryodhanake sivā, āpake sabhī yoddhā vahāṅse bhāg gaye |
Sañjaya said: O King, your troops fled in rout—except for King Duryodhana. Yet, because the dust raised by the moving armies covered everything, the enemy’s soldiers could not discern that the Kaurava host was retreating. O King, apart from Duryodhana, all your warriors abandoned that place.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the battlefield reality that collective morale can collapse, while a single leader may remain standing; it also shows how perception is shaped by conditions (dust, confusion), reminding readers that outcomes in war are not only about valor but also about visibility, coordination, and psychological steadiness.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that the Kaurava forces have fled from the field, leaving Duryodhana as the lone exception; simultaneously, the dust raised by the armies prevents the opposing soldiers from immediately realizing that the Kauravas are retreating.