Shloka 26
Abhimanyunidhana-prakāśaḥ — Vasudeva–Kṛṣṇa–Subhadrā–Kuntī śoka-saṃvāda
Disclosure and Consolation
निहते शकुनौ राजा धार॑राष्ट्र: सुदुर्मना: । अपाक्रामद् गदापाणिहत भूयिष्ठसैनिक:
nihate śakunau rājā dhāra-rāṣṭraḥ sudurmanāḥ | apākrāmad gadāpāṇi-hata-bhūyiṣṭha-sainikaḥ ||
Cuando Śakuni fue muerto, el hijo de Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana) cayó en honda aflicción. Con la mayor parte de sus tropas ya aniquiladas, se retiró del campo de batalla y huyó solo, con la maza en la mano.
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical consequence of adharma-driven conflict: when one’s cause is unrighteous and sustained by deceitful counsel, defeat brings not only military loss but inner collapse—grief, fear, and isolation. Power without dharma proves unstable, and attachment to victory ends in abandonment by circumstances and the destruction of one’s support.
After Śakuni is killed, Duryodhana (called 'Dhārtarāṣṭra') becomes deeply distressed. With the majority of his soldiers already slain—especially in the mace-fight context—he retreats from the battlefield, fleeing alone while still holding his mace.