Shloka 316
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
ददृशे पाण्डुपुत्रस्य सैन्यमार्तस्वरं तदा । उस समय पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठटिरकी सारी सेना (सिंहसे डरी हुई) गौओंके समुदायकी भाँति घबराहटमें पड़ गयी थी। रथके कूबर उलट-पलट हो गये थे और समस्त सैनिक आर्तनाद कर रहे थे
sañjaya uvāca | dadṛśe pāṇḍuputrasya sainyam ārta-svaraṃ tadā |
Sañjaya said: At that moment he beheld the army of the son of Pāṇḍu raising cries of distress. The Pāṇḍava host, shaken with fear like a herd of cattle, fell into confusion; chariot-yokes were thrown out of alignment, and the soldiers wailed aloud—showing how, in war, morale and steadiness can collapse when terror overtakes discipline.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral-psychological truth of warfare: when fear spreads, even a great army can lose order and composure. It implicitly underscores the dharmic need for steadiness (dhṛti) and disciplined leadership amid crisis, since panic multiplies suffering and weakens righteous resolve.
Sañjaya reports that the Pāṇḍava forces are seen crying out in distress and falling into confusion. The accompanying traditional gloss describes them as frightened like cattle, with chariots thrown into disarray and soldiers lamenting—signaling a moment of battlefield shock and wavering morale.