Shloka 28
अध्याय ९१ — शैनेयस्य गजानीकभेदनं जलसंधवधश्च
Chapter 91: Sātyaki breaks the elephant array and slays Jalasaṃdha
तत् तथा तव पुत्रस्य सैन्यं युधि परंतप । प्रभग्नं द्रतमाविग्नमतीव शरपीडितम्,शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले नरेश! इस प्रकार उस युद्धस्थलमें अर्जुनके बाणोंसे पीड़ित हुई आपके पुत्रकी सेनाके पाँव उखड़ गये और वह अत्यन्त उद्विग्न हो तुरंत ही वहाँसे भाग चली
tat tathā tava putrasya sainyaṃ yudhi parantapa | prabhagnaṃ drutam āvignam atīva śarapīḍitam ||
ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಓ ಶತ್ರುಸಂತಾಪಕ ರಾಜನೇ! ಆ ಯುದ್ಧಭೂಮಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅರ್ಜುನನ ಬಾಣವೃಷ್ಟಿಯಿಂದ ತೀವ್ರವಾಗಿ ಪೀಡಿತವಾದ ನಿನ್ನ ಪುತ್ರನ ಸೇನೆ ಚೂರಾಗಿ ಚದುರಿ, ಅತ್ಯಂತ ವ್ಯಗ್ರವಾಗಿ ಕಾಲು ನಿಲ್ಲದೆ ತಕ್ಷಣವೇ ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಓಡಿ ಹೋಯಿತು।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly collective strength collapses when morale breaks: even a large force, once shaken by superior skill and sustained pressure, becomes ‘prabhagna’ (routed) and ‘āvigna’ (distressed). Ethically, it underscores the responsibility of leaders whose choices place armies into situations where fear and suffering spread rapidly.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava host—identified as ‘your son’s army’—has been shattered in battle and, tormented by volleys of arrows (contextually Arjuna’s), becomes highly agitated and flees in haste.