Shloka 77
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
दुर्निवर्त्या तदा चैव प्रभग्ना महती चमू: । अपामिव महावेगास्त्रस्ता मृगगणा इव,जब बड़ी भारी सेना भागने लगती है, तब डरकर भागे हुए मृगोंके झुंड तथा नीची भूमिकी ओर बहनेवाले जलके महान् वेगकी भाँति उसे पीछे लौटाना बहुत कठिन है
durnivartyā tadā caiva prabhagnā mahatī camūḥ | apām iva mahāvegāstrastā mṛgagaṇā iva ||
Vyāsa said: When a vast army has once broken and begun to flee, turning it back becomes exceedingly difficult—like trying to check waters rushing with great force downhill, or like recalling a herd of frightened deer that has scattered in panic. The verse underscores a moral and strategic truth of war: once fear overwhelms collective resolve, discipline collapses and even rightful counsel struggles to restore order.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that once collective fear breaks an army’s cohesion, restoring discipline is extremely difficult. It highlights the ethical and practical importance of steadiness, leadership, and morale—because panic, once unleashed, spreads like a flood and resists control.
Vyāsa describes a battlefield reality: a large force has been routed and is fleeing. He uses two similes—rushing water and frightened deer—to convey how hard it is to stop a retreat and re-form the troops once they have lost courage.