Shloka 15
Duryodhana-patana-anuśocana
The Fall of Duryodhana and the Contest of Restraint
पुनरावर्तमानानां भग्नानां जीवितैषिणाम् । भेतव्यमरिशेषाणामेकायनगता हिते,“मरनेसे बचे हुए शत्रुगण यदि युद्धमें जान बचानेकी इच्छासे भाग गये हों और पुनः युद्धके लिये लौटने लगे हों तो उनसे डरते रहना चाहिये; क्योंकि वे एक निश्चयपर पहुँचे हुए होते हैं (उस समय वे मृत्युसे भी नहीं डरते हैं)!
punarāvartamānānāṁ bhagnānāṁ jīvitaiṣiṇām | bhetavyam ariśeṣāṇām ekāyanagatā hi te ||
Vāyu said: “One should remain wary of enemies who, though broken and fleeing in search of life, turn back again toward battle. For such surviving foes have reached a single, fixed resolve; having chosen one course, they no longer shrink even from death.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not underestimate a foe who has fled and then returns; such survivors often come back with a hardened, single-minded resolve, making them more dangerous than before.
Vāyudeva offers counsel in the war context, warning that routed enemies who regroup and re-enter battle should be treated with heightened caution because their renewed return signals firm determination.