Shloka 17
ते वध्यमाना: समरे पार्थचापच्युतै: शरै: । तत्र तत्र सम लीयन्ते भये जाते महारथा:,अर्जुनके धनुषसे छूटे हुए बाणोंद्वारा समरांगणमें मारे जाते हुए कौरव-महारथी भयके मारे इधर-उधर छिपने लगे
te vadhyamānāḥ samare pārthacāpacyutaiḥ śaraiḥ | tatra tatra sama līyante bhaye jāte mahārathāḥ ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Abatidos en la batalla por las flechas disparadas desde el arco de Pārtha, los grandes guerreros de carro kauravas, presa del miedo, comenzaron a ocultarse aquí y allá. La escena muestra cómo incluso combatientes renombrados, ante una destreza abrumadora, pueden pasar del orgullo al pánico, revelando la fragilidad moral que la guerra deja al descubierto.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the instability of worldly valor: reputation and rank (mahāratha status) can collapse into fear when confronted with superior force. In the ethical frame of the epic, it suggests that inner steadiness and righteous resolve matter as much as martial skill, and that war tests character by exposing panic, attachment to life, and the limits of pride.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna’s arrows, shot from his bow, are cutting down the opposing champions. Overwhelmed, the Kaurava elite chariot-warriors begin to scatter and hide in different places on the battlefield, indicating a moment of tactical and psychological breakdown under Arjuna’s assault.