Shloka 29
अपरे प्रद्रुता नागा भयत्रस्ता विशाम्पते । भ्रेमुर्दिशो यथा पूर्व वने दावाग्निसंवृता:,प्रजानाथ! भयभीत होकर भागे हुए दूसरे बहुत-से हाथी सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें उसी प्रकार चक्कर काटने लगे, जैसे पहले वनमें दावानलसे घिर जानेपर वे चारों ओर चक्कर लगाते थे
apare pradrutā nāgā bhayatrastā viśāmpate | bhremur diśo yathā pūrvaṁ vane dāvāgnisaṁvṛtāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O lord of the people, other elephants too, panic-stricken and fleeing, began to wheel about in every direction—just as they once circled helplessly in a forest when surrounded by a raging wildfire. The image underscores how fear in war scatters even the mighty, driving them into blind, self-preserving motion rather than ordered action.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear can overpower strength and training: even powerful elephants lose direction when panic-stricken. Ethically, it implies the importance of steadiness and disciplined leadership in war, since terror spreads and turns organized forces into aimless, self-protective movement.
Sañjaya reports to the king that many elephants, frightened, have broken formation and are running about in all directions. He compares their confused circling to elephants trapped in a forest surrounded by wildfire.