Shloka 35
भीष्मवधोपाय-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into the means to overcome Bhīṣma) | Chapter 103
सा वध्यमाना च तथा पाण्डवानामनीकिनी । रक्षसा घोररूपेण प्रदुद्राव रणे भयात्,उस घोर राक्षसके द्वारा उस प्रकार मारी जाती हुई वह पाण्डवसेना भयके मारे रणभूमिसे भाग चली
sā vadhyamānā ca tathā pāṇḍavānām anīkinī | rakṣasā ghorarūpeṇa pradudrāva raṇe bhayāt ||
Sañjaya said: Thus, as the Pāṇḍavas’ army was being struck down by that dreadful, fearsome-looking rākṣasa, it fled from the battlefield in terror. The verse underscores how fear can overwhelm even a righteous host when confronted by overwhelming and uncanny violence, revealing the moral strain that war imposes on courage and resolve.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a powerful and dharma-aligned force can falter when fear and shock dominate the mind; the verse highlights the ethical and psychological cost of war, where courage is tested not only by weapons but by terror and confusion.
Sañjaya reports that the Pāṇḍavas’ army, being heavily attacked by a terrifying rākṣasa, panics and runs from the battlefield.