Shloka 9
जयद्रथवधः — The Slaying of Jayadratha
Sunset Vow and Curse-Condition
द्रवते तद् यथा सैन्यं तेन भग्नं महात्मना,'सारथे! उन्हीं महात्मा अर्जुनकी खदेड़ी हुई वह सेना इधर-उधर भाग रही है। दौड़ते हुए रथों, हाथियों और घोड़ोंसे लाल रेशमके समान यह धूल ऊपरको उठ रही है
sañjaya uvāca | dravate tad yathā sainyaṃ tena bhagnaṃ mahātmanā | sārathē! unhīṃ mahātmā arjunakī khaderī huī vah senā idhar-udhar bhāg rahī hai | dauṛte hue rathoṃ, hāthiyoṃ aur ghoṛoṃ se lāl reśam ke samān yah dhūl ūpar ko uṭh rahī hai |
Sañjaya dit : «Ô cocher ! Comme une armée en déroute se brise et se disperse, ainsi cette troupe—mise en pièces par le magnanime—fuit maintenant en tous sens, refoulée par le noble Arjuna. Des chars lancés au galop, des éléphants et des chevaux, la poussière s’élève, luisant comme une soie rouge.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the battlefield consequence of superior skill and resolve: when a leader of exceptional prowess acts decisively, even a large force can lose cohesion and flee. Ethically, it reflects the Mahabharata’s recurring theme that in kshatriya warfare, courage, discipline, and command determine whether an army stands firm or collapses.
Sanjaya reports to the listener (addressing a ‘charioteer’) that Arjuna has driven back and broken the opposing troops. The defeated army scatters in panic, while the movement of chariots, elephants, and horses throws up dust that appears reddish—likened to red silk.