Shloka 573
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १६२: प्रातःसंध्यायां युद्धप्रवृत्तिः तथा रजोमेघे संमूढता
अगच्छन् द्रौणिमुस्तृज्य विप्रकीर्णरथध्वजा: । समरभूमिमें मारे जाते हुए पांचाल और सूंजय सैनिक अअश्वत्थामाको छोड़कर चल दिये, उनके रथ और ध्वजा नष्ट-भ्रष्ट होकर बिखर गये थे
sañjaya uvāca | agacchan drauṇim utsṛjya viprakīrṇa-ratha-dhvajāḥ | samara-bhūmau māryamāṇāḥ pāñcālāḥ sūñjayāś ca sainikā aśvatthāmānam utsṛjya jagmuḥ, teṣāṃ rathā dhvajāś ca naṣṭa-bhraṣṭāḥ prakīrṇā babhūvuḥ |
Sanjaya berkata: Meninggalkan putera Drona, Aśvatthāmā, di belakang, bala tentera Panchala dan Sṛñjaya—sedang ditewaskan di medan laga—berundur lalu berangkat pergi. Kereta-kereta perang dan panji-panji mereka hancur berkecai dan bertaburan, tanda barisan telah pecah dan semangat tempur merosot di bawah desakan perang yang kejam.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, loss of cohesion and courage quickly turns into rout: when leadership or a feared opponent dominates, troops may abandon the fight, and the visible symbols of order—chariots and banners—become scattered. Ethically, it underscores the tragic cost of adharma-driven conflict, where fear and slaughter eclipse disciplined duty.
Sanjaya reports that the Panchala and Sṛñjaya forces, being heavily slain, withdraw from the battlefield, leaving Aśvatthāmā (Drona’s son) behind. Their chariots and standards are broken and dispersed, indicating a collapse of formation and a retreat under pressure.