Shloka 44

अभिमन्यु-परिवेष्टनम्

Encirclement and Counterassault of Abhimanyu

Devanagari script

संशुष्कास्याश्षलन्नेत्रा: प्रस्विन्ना रोमहर्षिण: । पलायनकृतोत्साहा निरुत्साहा द्विषज्जये,जैसे कार्तिकेयने असुरोंकी सेनाको नष्ट-भ्रष्ट कर दिया था, उसी प्रकार एकमात्र सुभद्राकुमार अभिमन्युने अपने तीखे बाणोंद्वारा समस्त कौरव-सेनाको अत्यन्त छिलन्न-भिन्न कर डाला है; यह देखकर आपके पुत्र और सैनिक भयभीत हो दसों दिशाओंकी ओर देखने लगे। उनके मुख सूख गये थे, नेत्र चंचल हो उठे थे, सारे अंगोंमें पसीना हो आया था और उनके रोंगटे खड़े हो गये थे। अब वे भागनेमें उत्साह दिखाने लगे। शत्रुओंको जीतनेके लिये उनके मनमें तनिक भी उत्साह नहीं रह गया था

Transliteration

saṃśuṣkāsyāś calannetrāḥ prasvinnā romaharṣiṇaḥ | palāyanakṛtotsāhā nirutsāhā dviṣajjaye ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Their mouths had gone dry, their eyes darted about; sweat covered them and their hair stood on end. Their energy now turned toward flight, while for victory over the foe they had no zeal left at all. In this report, fear is shown as the inner collapse that follows when adharma-driven confidence meets a superior, righteous force on the battlefield.

Word by Word

संशुष्कास्याःhaving dried mouths

चलन्नेत्राःwith trembling/roving eyes

प्रस्विन्नाःsweating

रोमहर्षिणःwith horripilation (hair standing on end)

पलायनकृतोत्साहाःwhose zeal was directed to flight

निरुत्साहाःwithout enthusiasm

द्विषत्of enemies

जयॆin victory / in conquering

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kaurava soldiers (implied as 'your sons and troops' in context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fear and loss of inner resolve can undo an army more decisively than weapons. When courage is replaced by the impulse to flee, the capacity to pursue a just aim—here, victory in battle—collapses from within.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the Kaurava side’s soldiers as physically and mentally overwhelmed—dry mouths, darting eyes, sweating, hair standing on end—so that their remaining energy is directed toward escape rather than fighting for victory.