Shloka 79
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
भीतान् भग्नांश्व सम्प्रेक्ष्य भयं भूयोडभिवर्धते । प्रभग्ना सहसा राजन् दिशो विद्रवते चमू:
bhītān bhagnāṁś ca samprekṣya bhayaṁ bhūyo 'bhivardhate | prabhagnā sahasā rājan diśo vidravate camūḥ ||
វ្យាសៈបានមានព្រះវាចា៖ ពេលឃើញទាហានដែលភ័យខ្លាច ហើយចិត្តបាក់បែកកំពុងរត់គេច ភ័យរបស់អ្នកដទៃក៏កើនឡើងកាន់តែខ្លាំង។ បន្ទាប់មក ឱ ព្រះមហាក្សត្រ កងទ័ពទាំងមូល—ស្រាប់តែអស់សង្ឃឹម—បែកខ្ចាត់ខ្ចាយរត់គេចទៅគ្រប់ទិស។
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Fear is contagious in collective life: when people witness others panic and break ranks, their own courage erodes, leading to rapid, large-scale collapse. The verse implicitly highlights the ethical and strategic responsibility of leaders and warriors to maintain steadiness so that others are not harmed by cascading panic.
Vyāsa describes a battlefield dynamic to the king: once some soldiers are seen fleeing in terror, the remaining fighters’ fear intensifies, and the entire army can suddenly lose heart and run in all directions.