Shloka 743
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
विद्रुतान् रथिनो दृष्टवा मन्ये शोचति पुत्रक: । दुर्मैषण और वृषसेन भी युद्धमें मारे गये
vidrutān rathino dṛṣṭvā manye śocati putrakaḥ |
Waiśampāyana berkata: Melihat para kesatria-kereta lari kocar-kacir, kurasa putraku sedang diliputi duka. Sebab Durmaiṣaṇa dan Vṛṣasena pun telah gugur di medan perang; dihantam para Pāṇḍava yang perkasa, pasukan dilanda gentar dan pecah menjadi pelarian. Raja-raja sekutu, berpaling dari pertempuran, mulai melarikan diri, dan bahkan para rathin pun memperlihatkan punggung mereka. Menyaksikan semua ini, tampaknya putraku tenggelam dalam kesedihan—demikian penilaianku.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical and psychological cost of war: when key warriors fall, collective morale collapses, and even those bound by kṣatriya duty may retreat. It underscores how leadership, courage, and adherence to dharma are tested under catastrophic loss.
After Durmaiṣaṇa and Vṛṣasena are killed and the Pāṇḍavas strike the opposing forces hard, the army breaks into a rout. Allied kings and chariot-warriors flee, and Vaiśampāyana infers that his son (the listener within the frame narrative) must be grieving upon seeing this collapse.