Shloka 743
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
विद्रुतान् रथिनो दृष्टवा मन्ये शोचति पुत्रक: । दुर्मैषण और वृषसेन भी युद्धमें मारे गये
vidrutān rathino dṛṣṭvā manye śocati putrakaḥ |
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。車戦の武者たちが乱れて逃げ散るのを見て、我が子は嘆き悲しんでいるに違いないと思う。ドゥルマイシャナもヴリシャセーナも戦で討たれ、強大なるパーンダヴァの打撃に軍勢は恐慌に陥り潰走した。味方の諸王は戦を背にして逃げはじめ、ついにはラティンまでも背を見せた。これらすべてを目にして、我が子は深い悲嘆に呑まれている—そう私は判断する。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical and psychological cost of war: when key warriors fall, collective morale collapses, and even those bound by kṣatriya duty may retreat. It underscores how leadership, courage, and adherence to dharma are tested under catastrophic loss.
After Durmaiṣaṇa and Vṛṣasena are killed and the Pāṇḍavas strike the opposing forces hard, the army breaks into a rout. Allied kings and chariot-warriors flee, and Vaiśampāyana infers that his son (the listener within the frame narrative) must be grieving upon seeing this collapse.