Shloka 81

द्वैपायनह्रदे दुर्योधनान्वेषणम् / The Search for Duryodhana at Dvaipāyana Lake

Devanagari script

विद्रुतानि च सर्वाणि शिबिराणि समन्तत: । इतस्तत: पलायन्ते हतनाथा हतौजस:,“सारे शिविरके लोग सब ओर भाग गये। स्वामीके मारे जानेसे हतोत्साह होकर सभी सेवक इधर-उधर पलायन कर रहे हैं

Transliteration

vidrutāni ca sarvāṇi śibirāṇi samantataḥ | itas tataḥ palāyante hatanāthā hataujasaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: All the encampments were thrown into flight on every side. Leaderless after their lord had been slain, the attendants—stripped of courage and strength—ran away in all directions. The verse underscores how, in war, the fall of a commander can collapse morale and order, turning a force into a scattered multitude.

Word by Word

विद्रुतानिhaving fled, run away

चand

सर्वाणिall

शिबिराणिcamps

समन्ततःon all sides, all around

इतस्ततःhere and there

पलायन्तेthey flee, run away

हतनाथाःwhose lord is slain

हतौजसःwhose vigor is destroyed, dispirited

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

śibira (military camp/encampments)

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 the ethical and practical weight of leadership in war: when the rightful protector (nātha) falls, collective courage (ojas) collapses, and disorder spreads. It implicitly warns that power without stable guidance and duty-bound resolve quickly turns into fear and flight.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the camps have broken and scattered. With their lord/commander slain, the remaining attendants and soldiers lose heart and flee in all directions, indicating a rout and the disintegration of organized resistance.