Shloka 99
ततः प्रत्यवहारो5भूत् पाण्डवानां विशाम्पते | कौरवाणां च दीनानां द्रोणे युधि निपातिते,प्रजानाथ! तदनन्तर युद्धस्थलमें द्रोणाचार्यके मारे जानेके बाद पाण्डवों तथा दीन कौरवोंकी सेनाएँ अपने-अपने शिविरकी ओर चल दीं
tataḥ pratyavahāro 'bhūt pāṇḍavānāṃ viśāṃpate | kauravāṇāṃ ca dīnānāṃ droṇe yudhi nipātite prajānātha ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O lord of the people, there occurred a withdrawal of the Pāṇḍavas, and also of the dispirited Kauravas, once Droṇa had been struck down in battle. In the wake of Droṇa’s fall, both armies turned back from the field toward their respective camps—an outward pause in fighting that reflects the moral and strategic shock caused by the death of a revered commander.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the fall of a central, respected leader can abruptly change the moral and strategic atmosphere of war: even amid relentless conflict, shock, grief, and loss of command can force a pause and reorientation. It implicitly underscores the ethical weight carried by revered figures and how their death destabilizes both sides.
After Droṇa is slain in battle, both armies—Pāṇḍava and the now-dispirited Kaurava forces—withdraw from the battlefield and move toward their respective camps, marking a momentary cessation and regrouping following a major turning point.