Shloka 116
द्वैपायनह्रदे दुर्योधनान्वेषणम् / The Search for Duryodhana at Dvaipāyana Lake
प्रतिष्ठमानं तु भयान्नावतिष्ठति दंशितम् । भरतश्रेष्ठ! वह सेना युद्धस्थलमें आकर महात्मा पाण्डवोंद्वारा दो ही घड़ीमें मार डाली गयी। उस समय उसे कोई भी अपना रक्षक नहीं मिला। वह युद्धके लिये कवच बाँधकर प्रस्थित तो हुई, किंतु भयके मारे वहाँ टिक न सकी
sañjaya uvāca | pratiṣṭhamānaṃ tu bhayān nāvatiṣṭhati daṃśitam | bharataśreṣṭha! sā senā yuddhasthalam āgatya mahātmabhiḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ dve eva ghaṭike maritā | tadā tasyāḥ kaścid api sva-rakṣakaḥ na labdhaḥ | sā yuddhāya kavacaṃ baddhvā prasthitā tu, bhayāt tatra sthātuṃ na śaśāka |
Sanjaya said: O best of the Bharatas, even when armed and ready, that force could not hold its ground because fear overcame it. Having come onto the battlefield, the army was cut down by the high-souled Pandavas in the space of only two ghaṭikās. At that time it found no protector of its own. Though it had set out for battle after fastening its armor, it could not remain there, driven back by fear.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Mere equipment and outward readiness do not ensure steadfastness; when fear overwhelms resolve and leadership fails to provide protection, even an armed force collapses quickly. The passage underscores the ethical weight of courage and the practical necessity of reliable guardianship in war.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that a Kaurava force, though armored and having marched out to fight, could not hold its position due to fear. Upon reaching the battlefield it was rapidly slain by the Pandavas within a very short time, and it found no defender to rally or protect it.