Shloka 113
दध्युश्वैव महाराज न युद्धे दधिरे मन: । ऊरुग्राहगृहीता श्व नाभ्यधावन्त पाण्डवान्,वे सब लोग विषादके कारण दीर्घकालतक ऐसी अवस्थामें पड़े रहे, मानो उनकी सारी इन्द्रियाँ नष्ट हो गयी हों। महाराज! वे भारी चिन्तामें डूब गये। युद्धमें उनका मन नहीं लगता था। वे पाण्डवोंपर धावा न कर सके, मानो किसी महान ग्राहने उन्हें पकड़ लिया हो
sañjaya uvāca | dadhyuḥ eva mahārāja na yuddhe dadhire manaḥ | ūrugrāhagrahītā iva na abhyadhāvanta pāṇḍavān |
Sañjaya said: O King, they were utterly shaken; their minds could not settle on battle. They did not rush against the Pāṇḍavas, as if seized by a mighty crocodile—held fast by despair and heavy anxiety, their powers seemingly drained.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how inner states—despair, anxiety, and fear—can immobilize even warriors, obstructing the performance of duty. It implicitly contrasts the ideal of steadfast kṣatriya resolve with the reality that mental collapse can halt action as effectively as physical restraint.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the fighters (contextually, the Kaurava side) have fallen into deep dejection and cannot bring themselves to charge the Pāṇḍavas. Their paralysis is compared to being caught by a powerful crocodile, emphasizing helplessness and loss of initiative.