Shloka 22
ते तु तद्बलमासाद्य बभज्जुः सर्वतोदिशम् । तच्छुत्वा दिद्वुतं सैन्यं विश्वामित्रस्तु गाधिज:
te tu tadbalam āsādya babhajjuḥ sarvato diśam | tac chrutvā didrutaṃ sainyaṃ viśvāmitras tu gādhijaḥ ||
But they, having come upon that force, shattered it in every direction. Hearing that the army had been thrown into sudden flight and confusion, Viśvāmitra—the son of Gādhi—(responded accordingly). The passage highlights how the collapse of collective discipline in battle quickly turns strength into rout, underscoring the ethical weight of leadership and steadiness amid crisis.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Military power depends on cohesion and morale; when discipline breaks, even a strong force collapses. The verse implicitly stresses the ethical responsibility of leaders to maintain steadiness and order, since panic spreads faster than courage.
A force is met and then broken apart on all sides, causing the army to scatter in sudden flight. On hearing of this rout, Viśvāmitra (identified by his patronymic ‘son of Gādhi’) is introduced as reacting to the news, marking a narrative shift to his role.