Shloka 113
दध्युश्वैव महाराज न युद्धे दधिरे मन: । ऊरुग्राहगृहीता श्व नाभ्यधावन्त पाण्डवान्
sañjaya uvāca | dadhyuḥ eva mahārāja na yuddhe dadhire manaḥ | ūrugrāhagrahītā iva na abhyadhāvanta pāṇḍavān |
Sañjaya dit : Ô roi, ils furent entièrement ébranlés ; leur esprit ne pouvait se fixer sur la guerre. Ils ne se ruèrent pas sur les Pāṇḍava, comme saisis par un crocodile gigantesque : le désespoir et une lourde inquiétude les tenaient, et leurs forces semblaient s’être vidées.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how inner states—despair, anxiety, and fear—can immobilize even warriors, obstructing the performance of duty. It implicitly contrasts the ideal of steadfast kṣatriya resolve with the reality that mental collapse can halt action as effectively as physical restraint.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the fighters (contextually, the Kaurava side) have fallen into deep dejection and cannot bring themselves to charge the Pāṇḍavas. Their paralysis is compared to being caught by a powerful crocodile, emphasizing helplessness and loss of initiative.