Shloka 12
सौमदत्ते: शिरो दृष्टवा निहतं तन्महात्मन: । वित्रस्तास्तावका राजन प्रदुद्रुवुरनेकथा,महाराज! महामना शलके मस्तकको कटा हुआ देख आपके सैनिक अत्यन्त भयभीत हो अनेक दलोंमें बँटकर भागने लगे
saumadatteḥ śiro dṛṣṭvā nihataṃ tan-mahātmanaḥ | vitrastās tāvakā rājan pradudruvur anekathā ||
Sañjaya said: O King, when your troops saw the severed head of the noble Saumadatti lying slain, they were struck with terror and fled in many directions, breaking into scattered groups. The sight of a fallen great warrior shattered their resolve and turned the battlefield into a scene of panic and dispersal.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly collective resolve can collapse when a revered leader falls. In the ethical frame of the epic, it underscores the human cost of war: even mighty armies are governed by fear, grief, and shaken confidence, reminding rulers that violence breeds instability and suffering beyond the immediate victory.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava soldiers, upon seeing Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas) slain and his head cut off, become terrified and flee, scattering into different groups and directions on the battlefield.