Shloka 4
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
पितृन् भ्रातृन् परित्यज्य वयस्यानपि चापरे । हतधुर्या रथा: केचिद्धतसूतास्तथा परे,कुछ लोग अपने पिता और भाइयोंको छोड़कर भागे तो दूसरे लोग मित्रोंको। कितने ही रथोंके घोड़े मारे गये थे और कितनोंके सारथि
pitṝn bhrātṝn parityajya vayasyān api cāpare | hatadhuryā rathāḥ kecid dhatasūtās tathā pare ||
Sañjaya said: Some, abandoning their fathers and brothers, fled; others even left their companions. Of the chariots, some had their yokes and teams struck down, and others had their charioteers slain—so the battle-field was filled with panic, disarray, and the collapse of martial order.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear in war can shatter social and ethical bonds: even fathers, brothers, and close companions are abandoned, while the disabling of chariots (slain teams or charioteers) symbolizes the collapse of discipline and duty expected of warriors.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the fighting has become chaotic: soldiers are fleeing, leaving their own kin and comrades, and many chariots are rendered useless because their teams are struck down or their charioteers are killed.