Shloka 683
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
वित्रेसु: पाण्डवभयादू रजोध्यस्तास्तदा भूृशम् । शल्यके भाईको मारा गया देख धूलिधूसरित हुए आपके सारे सैनिक पाण्डुपुत्रके भयसे जीवनकी आशा छोड़कर अत्यन्त त्रस्त हो गये
vitrēsuḥ pāṇḍava-bhayād rajo-dhyastās tadā bhṛśam |
Sañjaya said: Stricken with fear of the Pāṇḍavas, the troops were then utterly shaken; covered in dust, they lost hope of life and fell into extreme panic as the battle’s tide turned against them.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear and loss of morale can collapse an army more decisively than weapons. In the ethical frame of the epic, inner steadiness (dhairya) is crucial for kṣatriya conduct; when courage fails, even a powerful force becomes ineffective.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava troops, overwhelmed by fear of the Pāṇḍavas, are thrown into confusion—dust-covered, shaken, and despairing of survival—signaling a turning point in the fighting.