Shloka 26
द्वैपायनह्रदे दुर्योधनान्वेषणम् / The Search for Duryodhana at Dvaipāyana Lake
तथा दृष्टवा महाराज एक: स पृथिवीपति: । हतं स्वहयमुत्सृज्य प्राड्मुख: प्राद्रवद् भयात्,महाराज! रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ दुर्योधनने जब समरभूमिमें अपने किसी सहायकको न देखकर शत्रुओंको गर्जते देखा और अपनी सेनाके विनाशपर दृष्टिपात किया, तब वह अकेला भूपाल अपने मरे हुए घोड़ेको वहीं छोड़कर भयके मारे पूर्व दिशाकी ओर भाग चला
tathā dṛṣṭvā mahārāja ekaḥ sa pṛthivīpatiḥ | hataṃ svahayam utsṛjya prāṅmukhaḥ prādravad bhayāt ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing this, O great king, that sovereign—now left alone—abandoned his own horse, which had been slain, and, facing east, fled in fear. The verse underscores the moral collapse that can follow when pride and reliance on force replace steadiness of mind: once support and confidence vanish, even a ruler is driven to panic and flight amid the ruin of his army.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear and loss of support can shatter royal composure: when leadership is grounded in ego and force rather than inner steadiness and righteous purpose, collapse comes quickly in crisis.
Sañjaya reports that the king (contextually Duryodhana), finding himself alone and seeing devastation around him, leaves his slain horse behind and flees eastward out of fear.