Shloka 29
किमियं द्रवते सेना त्रस्तरूपेव भारत । द्रवमाणां च राजेन्द्र नावस्थापयसे रणे,“भरतनन्दन! क्यों यह सेना भयभीत-सी होकर भागी जा रही है? राजेन्द्र! इस भागती हुई सेनाको आप युद्धमें ठहरानेका प्रयत्न क्यों नहीं करते?
kim iyaṁ dravate senā trastarūpeva bhārata | dravamāṇāṁ ca rājendra nāvasthāpayase raṇe ||
Sañjaya said: “O Bhārata, why is this army fleeing as if seized by terror? And you, O king of kings—why do you not try to halt these running troops in the midst of battle?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical demand of leadership in crisis: a ruler must not remain passive when collective fear spreads. In the kṣatriya context, steadiness, command, and the ability to rally troops are treated as duties tied to responsibility for others.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the army is breaking ranks and fleeing in terror. He challenges the king’s inaction, asking why Dhṛtarāṣṭra does not attempt to stop and re-stabilize the retreating forces amid the battle.