Shloka 6
Kuru-Sainika-Āśvāsana and Vijayaghoṣaṇa
Reassuring the Kuru Soldiers; Proclaiming Victory
उपप्लवन्ति वित्रस्ता रथेभ्यो रथिनस्तथा । सादिनश्चाश्वपृछे भ्यो भूमौ चैव पदातय:
upaplavanti vitrastā rathebhyo rathinas tathā | sādinaś cāśvapṛṣṭhebhyo bhūmau caiva padātayaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Terrified, the chariot-warriors leapt down from their chariots; the horsemen sprang off their horses’ backs; and the foot-soldiers, already on the ground, also scattered in panic—each fleeing for his life. The scene underscores how fear can dissolve martial order and resolve when confidence and protection collapse.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of martial discipline: when fear overwhelms, even trained warriors abandon their stations. Ethically, it contrasts outward status (chariot-warrior, horseman, infantry) with the inner quality of steadiness (dhairya), implying that true strength is composure under threat.
A sudden surge of terror spreads through the troops. Chariot-fighters jump down from their chariots, cavalrymen spring off their horses, and the infantry scatter on foot—an image of a force breaking formation and fleeing in confusion.