Shloka 18
तस्मिन् विनिहते वीरे त्रैगर्तानां महारथे । बल॑ ते5भज्यत विभो पाण्डवेयै: समन्ततः,प्रभो! त्रिगर्तदेशके उस महारथी वीरके मारे जानेपर पाण्डव-सैनिकोंने चारों ओरसे आपकी सेनाको विघटित कर दिया
tasmin vinihate vīre traigartānāṁ mahārathe | balaṁ te 'bhajyata vibho pāṇḍaveyaiḥ samantataḥ prabho ||
Sañjaya said: When that heroic great chariot-warrior of the Trigartas was slain, O mighty lord, the Pāṇḍava forces, attacking from every side, shattered and broke up your army’s formation—signaling how the fall of a key champion can unravel collective resolve and order in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring ethical-strategic insight of the epic: in war, the fall of a principal protector can cause a wider collapse of cohesion and morale, showing how leadership and responsibility affect many beyond the individual.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that after a prominent Trigarta great chariot-warrior is killed, the Pāṇḍava troops press in from all directions and the Kaurava army’s formation breaks apart.