Shloka 14
भीता: पादैर्हयान् केचित् त्वरयन्तः स्वयं रथान् । रथान् विशीर्णनुत्सृज्य पद्धि: केचिच्च विद्रुता:,कुछ लोग भयभीत हो घोड़ोंको पैरोंसे मार-मारकर स्वयं ही जल्दी-जल्दी रथ हाँक रहे थे और कुछ लोग टूटे हुए रथोंको छोड़कर पैदल ही भागने लगे थे
bhītāḥ pādair hayān kecit tvarayantaḥ svayaṃ rathān | rathān viśīrṇān utsṛjya paddhiḥ kecic ca vidrutāḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: Some, seized by fear, struck their horses with their feet and hurried their chariots on by themselves; others, abandoning their shattered chariots, fled on foot. The scene underscores how terror in battle can dissolve order and resolve, driving men to desperate, self-preserving flight.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear can overpower discipline and duty in war: when courage collapses, warriors abandon equipment and formation, choosing immediate survival. Ethically, it contrasts steadiness in dharma with the destabilizing force of panic.
Yudhiṣṭhira describes a rout on the battlefield: some men frantically urge their horses and drive their chariots away, while others leave their damaged chariots behind and run off on foot.