Shloka 1293

Devanagari script

धृष्टद्युम्नरथं त्यक्त्वा भीता: सम्प्राद्रवन्‌ दिश: । तब पाण्डुपुत्र भीमसेन और समस्त पांचाल भयभीत हो धृष्टद्युम्नका रथ छोड़कर चारों दिशाओंमें भाग गये

Transliteration

dhṛṣṭadyumnarathaṃ tyaktvā bhītāḥ samprādravan diśaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Stricken with fear, they abandoned Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s chariot and fled in all directions. The scene underscores how, amid the chaos of battle, even renowned warriors can be overwhelmed by terror, and how fear can momentarily eclipse resolve and duty on the field of dharma-yuddha.

Word by Word

• धृष्टद्युम्नरथम्: the chariot of Dhrishtadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नरथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न-रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• भीताः: frightened
• भीताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सम्प्राद्रवन्: ran away / fled
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु (द्रव्)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada, सम्,प्र

• दिशः: to the directions (in all directions)
• दिशः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• chariot

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral-psychological reality that fear can disrupt even a warrior’s commitment to duty; in a dharma-yuddha, steadiness (dhairya) is repeatedly tested, and lapses reveal the human cost of violence and the fragility of resolve under extreme pressure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the fighters near Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s chariot become frightened, abandon the chariot, and scatter, fleeing in different directions—an image of a sudden rout or panic in that sector of the battlefield.