Shloka 132
द्रोणपुत्रभयाद् राजन् दिश: सर्वाश्व भेजिरे,राजन! समरांगणमें द्रोणपुत्रके द्वारा मारे जाते हुए समस्त राजाओंने उसके भयसे भागकर सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंकी शरण ली
droṇaputrabhayād rājan diśaḥ sarvāś ca bhejire
Sañjaya said: O King, out of fear of Droṇa’s son, they fled in every direction. On the battlefield, as the kings were being cut down by Droṇa’s son, they sought refuge in all quarters, driven by terror rather than resolve.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear can collapse collective courage and order in war: even rulers abandon formation and duty when overwhelmed by a superior threat. Ethically, it points to the fragility of kṣatriya resolve when violence becomes indiscriminate and terror-driven.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā) is slaughtering warriors on the battlefield, causing the assembled kings to panic and scatter, fleeing toward all directions to save themselves.