Shloka 30
अध्याय ५३ — रणमेघोपमा सेना-वर्णना तथा सुषेण-वधोत्तर प्रतिक्रिया
Battle-as-Storm Imagery and the Aftermath of Suṣeṇa’s Fall
तस्मिन् हते महाराज त्रस्तास्तस्य पुरोगमा: । गौतम समरे त्यक्त्वा दुद्रुवुस्ते दिशो दश,महाराज! सुकेतुके मारे जानेपर उसके अग्रगामी सैनिक भयभीत हो समरांगणमें कृपाचार्यको छोड़कर दसों दिशाओंकी ओर भाग निकले
tasmin hate mahārāja trastās tasya purogamāḥ | gautamaṃ samare tyaktvā dudruvus te diśo daśa ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ô roi, lorsqu’il fut abattu, les troupes qui marchaient à l’avant-garde furent saisies de panique. Abandonnant Gautama (Kṛpācārya) sur le champ de bataille, elles s’enfuirent vers les dix directions.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly morale collapses in war when a key figure falls: fear spreads, discipline breaks, and even respected leaders may be deserted. Implicitly it contrasts the ideal of steadfast kṣatriya conduct with the reality of panic-driven flight.
Sañjaya reports to the king that after a warrior was killed, the soldiers who had been leading the advance became terrified. They left Kṛpācārya (called Gautama) on the battlefield and scattered, fleeing in every direction.