Shloka 34
द्रोणपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः (Droṇa Parva, Chapter 15): युधिष्ठिर-रक्षा तथा अर्जुनस्य शरवृष्टिः
ततो मद्राधिपं दृष्टवा तव पुत्रा: पराड्मुखम् । सनागपत्त्यश्वरथा: समकम्पन्त मारिष,आर्य! उस समय मद्रराज शल्यको युद्धसे विमुख हुआ देख हाथी, घोड़े, रथ और पैदल-सेनाओंसहित आपके सारे पुत्र भयसे काँप उठे
tato madrādhipaṁ dṛṣṭvā tava putrāḥ parāṅmukham | sa-nāga-pattya-śva-rathāḥ samakampanta māriṣa ||
Sañjaya said: Then, seeing the lord of Madra—Śalya—turn away from the battle, your sons, together with their elephants, infantry, horses, and chariots, began to tremble in fear. The moment underscores how the wavering of a prominent leader can unsettle an entire host, revealing the moral fragility that fear brings amid the demands of kṣatriya duty in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and practical weight of leadership in war: when a renowned commander shows hesitation or withdrawal, collective courage collapses. It implicitly contrasts steadfastness in kṣatriya duty with the destabilizing power of fear and uncertainty.
Sañjaya reports that Śalya, the king of Madra, appears to turn away from the fight. Seeing this, Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons and their forces—elephants, infantry, horses, and chariots—begin to shake with fear, indicating a sudden drop in morale on the Kaurava side.