Shloka 56
Droṇa’s Withdrawal, Death, and the Kaurava Rout (द्रोणनिधन-प्रसङ्गः)
अहन्यन्त महाराज धावमानाश्न संयुगे । महाराज! वे योद्धा अचेत होकर सब ओर भागते थे और भागते हुए ही उस युद्धस्थलमें मारे जाते थे
ahanyanta mahārāja dhāvamānāś ca saṃyuge |
Sañjaya said: O King, in that battle even those warriors who, having lost awareness, were fleeing in all directions were struck down as they ran. The scene underscores the merciless momentum of war, where fear and confusion dissolve the usual protections of order and restraint, and the battlefield consumes the unsteady as readily as the steadfast.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dehumanizing force of war: once battle escalates into chaos, even the frightened and disoriented are not spared. Ethically, it points to how quickly restraint and customary protections can collapse, making war a domain where adharma can spread through panic and relentless pursuit.
Sañjaya reports to the king that, amid the fighting, warriors who had become senseless and were running away in confusion were still being cut down while fleeing. It is a snapshot of rout and slaughter on the battlefield.