Shloka 24
भूरिश्रवसः गर्हा, प्रायोपवेशः, सात्यकिकृतशिरच्छेदः
Bhūriśravas’s Censure, Prāyopaveśa, and Sātyaki’s Beheading
स वध्यमान: समरे शैनेयस्य शरोत्तमै: । प्राद्रवत् सहसा राजन पुत्रो दुर्योधनस्तव
sa vadhyamānaḥ samare śaineyasya śarottamaiḥ | prādravat sahasā rājan putro duryodhanas tava ||
Sanjaya said: Struck down in the thick of battle by the finest arrows of Śaineya, your son Duryodhana suddenly fled, O King. The moment underscores how even a proud ruler, when overpowered by superior skill and force, may abandon the field—revealing the moral fragility that accompanies ambition unmoored from dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension in war: valor is expected of a kṣatriya, yet fear and self-preservation can overtake even the powerful. It implicitly contrasts dharmic steadiness with the instability that follows from pride and unrighteous ambition.
Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana, overwhelmed by Śaineya (Satyaki) and pierced by his excellent arrows, suddenly ran from the battlefield.