Shloka 4
प्रह्ृष्टवित्रस्तविषण्णविस्मिता- स्तथा परे शोकहता इवाभवन् । परे त्वदीयाश्व॒ परस्परेण यथायथीषां प्रकृतिस्तथाभवन्
prahṛṣṭavitrastaviṣaṇṇavismitās tathā pare śokahatā ivābhavan | pare tvadīyāś ca paraspareṇa yathāyathīṣāṃ prakṛtis tathābhavan ||
Sañjaya berkata: Ada yang bersorak gembira, ada yang ketakutan, ada yang murung, ada yang terpana; dan yang lain tampak seakan dihancurkan oleh duka. Bahkan prajurit-prajuritmu sendiri pun saling bereaksi berbeda-beda—masing-masing menurut tabiatnya—sebagaimana watak batin menuntun laku lahir di tengah hiruk-pikuk perang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that in war and crisis, people respond according to their innate disposition (prakṛti): joy, fear, despair, amazement, or grief. Ethical judgment and leadership must account for this diversity of temperament rather than assuming uniform courage or loyalty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the varied emotional reactions among the warriors—some elated, some terrified, some despondent, some astonished, and some grief-stricken—and notes that even within Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s own side, men behaved toward one another differently, each according to his nature.