भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
परित्यज्य च पाज्चाल्यं प्रयाता यत्र सौबल: । राज्ञो5दर्शनसंविग्ना वर्तमाने जनक्षये
parityajya ca pāñcālyaṃ prayātā yatra saubalaḥ | rājño 'darśana-saṃvignā vartamāne jana-kṣaye ||
Sañjaya said: Leaving behind the Pāñcāla prince, she went to where Saubala was. Distressed at the king’s disappearance, and with the slaughter of men continuing all around, she moved in anxious haste.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the moral atmosphere of war: when mass destruction is underway, fear and confusion spread quickly, and personal loyalties shift under pressure. It implicitly underscores the fragility of human plans and the ethical cost of conflict—an environment where anxiety over leaders’ fate becomes as decisive as weapons.
Sañjaya reports that a woman (implied by saṃvignā) leaves the Pāñcāla figure and goes to Saubala (Śakuni). She is shaken because the king is not to be seen, and the battle’s killing continues, prompting her urgent movement toward Saubala.