Shloka 71
ते तु दृष्टवा शिरो राजन् भारद्वाजस्य तावका: । पलायनकृतोत्साहा दुद्गुवु: सर्वती दिशम्,महाराज! द्रोणाचार्यके उस कटे हुए सिरको देखकर आपके सारे सैनिकोंने केवल भागनेमें ही उत्साह दिखाया और वे सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें भाग गये
te tu dṛṣṭvā śiro rājan bhāradvājasya tāvakāḥ | palāyanakṛtotsāhā dudruvuḥ sarvatī diśam mahārāja |
Sañjaya berkata: “Namun apabila bala tentera tuanku melihat kepala yang dipenggal milik putera Bhāradvāja (Droṇa), wahai Raja, keberanian mereka berpaling sepenuhnya kepada lari menyelamatkan diri; dalam panik mereka bertempiaran ke segala arah, wahai Maharaja.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly collective morale collapses when a revered leader falls: fear spreads, discipline breaks, and an army’s strength dissolves into flight. Ethically, it underscores the human cost of war—victory is not merely tactical but also psychological, and the downfall of a teacher-figure like Droṇa shakes the very foundations of loyalty and resolve.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, upon seeing Droṇa’s severed head, the Kaurava soldiers lose heart. Instead of regrouping, they become intent only on escape and scatter in all directions, marking a sudden rout on the battlefield.