Shloka 57
अर्जुनस्य शीघ्रप्रयाणं भीम-शकुनियुद्धं च
Arjuna’s Rapid Advance and the Bhīma–Śakuni Encounter
यथा मृगगणांस्त्रस्तान् सिंहो द्रावयते दिश:
yathā mṛgagaṇāṁs trastān siṁho drāvayate diśaḥ
Sañjaya berkata: “Seperti singa menghalau kawanan rusa yang ketakutan ke segala arah, demikianlah pahlawan perkasa itu menghamburkan barisan yang gementar—panik merebak ketika tiap-tiap orang mencari selamat di mana sahaja yang mampu.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear spreads in conflict: when a force is overwhelmed by superior power, cohesion collapses and people scatter instinctively. Ethically, it underscores the responsibility of leaders and warriors to maintain steadiness and discipline rather than letting panic dictate action.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where one dominant fighter (implied by context) causes opposing troops to flee in disorder, compared to a lion scattering frightened deer in every direction.