Shloka 231
Adhyāya 112: Bhīṣma-prati Arjunasya Pravṛttiḥ
Arjuna’s Forward Drive Toward Bhīṣma
'सात्यकि, चेकितान, पाण्डु और माद्रीके पुत्र नकुल-सहदेव और पराक्रमी अभिमन्यु भी मेरी सेनाको भगा रहे हैं ।। धृष्टद्युम्नस्तथा शूरो राक्षसश्व घटोत्कच: । व्यद्रावयेतां सहसा सैन्यं मम महारणे
dhṛṣṭadyumnas tathā śūro rākṣasaś ca ghaṭotkacaḥ | vyadrāvayetāṃ sahasā sainyaṃ mama mahāraṇe ||
Sañjaya said: In that great battle, the valiant Dhṛṣṭadyumna and the rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca suddenly drove my army into flight. The report underscores how the Kaurava forces, despite their famed warriors, are being shaken by the coordinated prowess of the Pāṇḍava side—an ominous sign of the moral and strategic tide turning against adharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a war framed as kṣatriya-dharma, moral alignment and disciplined leadership matter: when a side is driven by adharma (unjust aims), its forces can lose cohesion and confidence, while the dharma-aligned side gains momentum through unity and capable commanders.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, amid the fierce fighting, Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Ghaṭotkaca together launch a sudden, forceful assault that routs the Kaurava troops, causing them to flee in disorder.