Shloka 2
अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः
Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces
द्रवमाणे बलौघे च निरानन्दे मुहुर्मुहु: । किमकुर्वन्त कुरवस्तन्ममाचक्ष्व संजय,धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! जब भीमसेन और पाण्डुपुत्र युधिष्ठिर लौट आये, पाण्डव और सूंजय मेरी सेनाका वध करने लगे और मेरा सैन्यसमुदाय आनन्दशून्य होकर बारंबार भागने लगा, उस समय कौरवोंने क्या किया? यह मुझे बताओ
dravamāṇe balaughe ca nirānande muhur muhuḥ | kim akurvanta kuravas tan mamācakṣva sañjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Apabila bala tenteraku yang berbondong-bondong itu berulang kali pecah dan lari, hilang segala keyakinan dan kegembiraan, sementara para Pāṇḍava menekan serangan dan menumpaskan tenteraku berkali-kali—apakah yang dilakukan oleh kaum Kuru pada saat itu? Katakan kepadaku, Sañjaya.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly power collapses when morale and cohesion fail. In ethical terms, it points to the consequences of adharma-driven leadership: when a cause is weakened by injustice and fear, even a large army can become ‘nirānanda’—spiritless—and break repeatedly.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya about a critical moment in the battle: his forces are repeatedly routed and dispirited under the Pāṇḍavas’ pressure. He asks what the Kuru warriors did in response—seeking tactical and emotional reassurance amid worsening news.