Shloka 3
अध्याय ४ — दुर्योधनस्य असंधि-निश्चयः
Duryodhana’s Refusal of Reconciliation
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत शल्यपर्वमें कौरवसेनाका पलायनविषयक तीसरा अध्याय पूरा हुआ
vimukhe tava putre tu śokopahatacetasi | bhṛśodvigneṣu sainyeṣu dṛṣṭvā pārthasya vikramam ||
Sañjaya dit : «Lorsque ton fils se détourna du combat, l’esprit accablé de chagrin, et lorsque les armées, voyant la prouesse de Pārtha (Arjuna), furent violemment agitées par la peur, la situation sur le champ pencha vers le désespoir et la confusion — préparant l’heure du conseil donné au roi ébranlé et d’une nouvelle méditation sur le devoir au cœur du désastre.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how grief and fear can overturn resolve in moments of duty. Ethically, it frames a leadership crisis: when a ruler’s mind is overwhelmed, the collective morale collapses, implying the need for steadiness (dhairya) and discernment (viveka) amid calamity.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Duryodhana, shaken by sorrow, turns away from the fight. The Kaurava forces, witnessing Arjuna’s prowess, become severely alarmed and unsettled—an immediate prelude to elders or commanders approaching Duryodhana with counsel.