Shloka 64
सेनानिवेशमाजम्मुर्हतशेषास्त्रयो रथा: । तत्र गुल्मा: परित्रस्ता: सूर्य चास्तमिते सति
senāniveśam ājagmur hataśeṣās trayo rathāḥ | tatra gulmāḥ paritrastāḥ sūrye cāstamite sati ||
Sañjaya said: The three surviving chariots, all that remained after the slaughter, made their way back to the army’s encampment. There, the troops stood in shaken disorder; and with the sun having set, fear and confusion spread through the ranks—an image of war’s moral collapse, where victory is measured not by righteousness but by what is left after ruin.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim ethical reality of war: as casualties mount, what remains is not glory but a frightened remnant and a destabilized army. It implicitly contrasts mere survival with dharmic victory, reminding the listener that adharma-driven conflict culminates in fear, fragmentation, and moral exhaustion.
Sañjaya reports that only three chariots remain and they return to the army camp. At the camp, the troop formations are terrified, and the setting of the sun intensifies the sense of vulnerability and disorder after heavy losses.