Shloka 5.45.15
मन्त्रिणां सुतयुद्धम् — Battle with the Sons of the Ministers
विनेदुर्विस्वरं नागा निपेतुर्भुवि वाजिनः।भग्ननीडध्वजच्छत्रैर्भूश्च कीर्णाऽभवद्रथैः।।।।
vinedur visvaraṃ nāgā nipetur bhuvi vājinaḥ |
bhagna-nīḍa-dhvaja-cchatrair bhūś ca kīrṇā ’bhavad rathaiḥ ||
Elephants blared discordantly, horses toppled to the ground, and the earth became strewn with chariots whose seats, banners, and parasols had been shattered.
The elephants trumpeted discordantly out of fear, the horses fell down on the ground and even the chariots with seats, parasols and flag staffs broken were strewn all over the ground.
When a cause lacks dharma, external grandeur (chariots, banners, royal emblems) cannot sustain inner stability. The verse teaches that moral confidence, not mere military display, is what steadies a force in crisis.
The rākṣasa forces fall into chaos: animals panic, mounts collapse, and war equipment breaks and litters the ground during the rout.
Hanumān’s awe-inspiring presence (tejas) indirectly: without him speaking, his prowess causes a collapse of enemy morale.