Shloka 5
Droṇa’s Withdrawal, Death, and the Kaurava Rout (द्रोणनिधन-प्रसङ्गः)
ते सर्वतो विद्रवन्तो योधा विध्वस्तचेतना:
te sarvato vidravanto yodhā vidhvastacetanāḥ
Sañjaya dit : Ces guerriers, l’esprit brisé par le choc du combat, s’enfuirent en tous sens—image de la manière dont la peur et la confusion peuvent dissoudre discipline et résolution au cœur du chaos moral et physique de la guerre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, inner steadiness (cetanā, mental composure) is as decisive as physical strength; when the mind collapses under fear and shock, even trained warriors abandon order and duty, showing the ethical tragedy of conflict where dharma is strained by panic and survival-instinct.
Sañjaya reports that the fighters are scattering and fleeing in every direction, overwhelmed and mentally disoriented—signaling a moment of rout or breakdown in the battle line.