Shloka 24
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya-saṃvādaḥ; madhyāhna-saṅgrāma-pravṛttiḥ
Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue and the midday battle escalation
हतं तमात्मजं दृष्टवा विराट: प्राद्रवद् भयात् । उत्सृज्य समरे द्रोणं व्यात्ताननमिवान्तकम्,अपने पुत्रको मारा गया देख मुँह बाये हुए कालके समान भयंकर द्रोणाचार्यको समरभूमिमें छोड़कर विराट भयके मारे भाग गये
sañjaya uvāca | hataṃ tam ātmajaṃ dṛṣṭvā virāṭaḥ prādravad bhayāt | utsṛjya samare droṇaṃ vyāttānanaṃ ivāntakam |
Sañjaya said: Seeing his own son slain, King Virāṭa fled in fear. Abandoning Droṇa on the battlefield—terrible like Death itself with gaping mouth—he ran away, overcome by panic. The verse underscores how grief and भय (fear) can eclipse a warrior’s resolve and royal duty in the chaos of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral-psychological truth: intense grief and fear can overwhelm even a king’s battlefield composure, causing a lapse from expected kṣatriya steadiness. It implicitly contrasts dharma-based courage with panic-driven flight.
After Virāṭa sees his son has been killed, he becomes terrified and flees the battlefield, leaving Droṇa behind—who is depicted as fearsome, like Death with a gaping mouth.