Shloka 50
निशीथे सूतपुत्रेण शरवर्षेण पीडिता: । एते द्रवन्ति पञ्चाला: सिंहेनेवार्दिता मृगा:
niśīthe sūtaputreṇa śaravarṣeṇa pīḍitāḥ | ete dravanti pañcālāḥ siṁhen evārdītā mṛgāḥ ||
In the dead of night, tormented by the charioteer’s son through a relentless shower of arrows, the Pāñcālas flee in panic—like deer harried by a lion. The verse underscores how fear and violence, when unleashed without restraint, reduce even seasoned warriors to helpless flight, revealing the moral collapse that accompanies nocturnal slaughter.
श्रीवायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming violence—especially under cover of night—can shatter courage and order, turning warriors into fleeing prey. It implicitly raises ethical tension about warfare that relies on terror and surprise rather than open, regulated combat.
At midnight, the Pāñcālas are pressed hard by the sūtaputra (Karṇa), who pours a dense barrage of arrows upon them. Unable to withstand it, they scatter and flee, compared to deer driven by a lion.