Shloka 24
ततो युधिष्छिरो राजा स्वसैन्यं प्रेक्ष्य विद्रुतम् । अपयाने मन: कृत्वा फाल्गुनं वाक्यमब्रवीत्,उस समय राजा युधिष्ठिरने अपनी सेनाको भागती देख स्वयं भी युद्धभूमिसे हट जानेका विचार करके अर्जुनसे इस प्रकार कहा--
tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā svasainyaṃ prekṣya vidrutam | apayāne manaḥ kṛtvā phālgunaṃ vākyam abravīt ||
Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, seeing his own army in flight, set his mind on withdrawing from the battlefield; and he spoke these words to Phālguna (Arjuna).
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical pressure on a ruler in war: when one’s forces collapse, the leader’s mind may turn to retreat, yet he must weigh that impulse against duty, responsibility for troops, and the larger dharmic aim of the campaign.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira sees the Pāṇḍava army running away. Disturbed, he considers withdrawing from the battlefield and then addresses Arjuna (called Phālguna), initiating a crucial exchange about what should be done next.