Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 46
Nakula’s Engagement with Citra-sena and Karṇa’s Sons; Śalya Re-stabilizes the Kaurava Host
त्यक्त्वा युद्धे प्रियान् पुत्रान् भ्रातनथ पितामहान् । मातुलान् भागिनेयांश्व वयस्थानपि भारत
tyaktvā yuddhe priyān putrān bhrātṝn atha pitāmahān | mātulān bhāgineyāṁś ca vayasyān api bhārata ||
Sañjaya said: In the battle, your warriors—defeated by the Pāṇḍavas though they longed for victory over one another—abandoned even their beloved sons, brothers, grandfathers, maternal uncles, nephews, and companions, and fled.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and psychological cost of war: when defeat and fear arise, even sacred bonds—sons, brothers, elders, and friends—can be cast aside. It implicitly critiques how the craving for victory and the chaos of battle can erode dharma-based loyalties.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the king’s troops, routed by the Pāṇḍavas, fled the battlefield. In their panic they abandoned their own close relatives and companions who were present in the fighting.