Shloka 23
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
ततो दुर्योधनो राजा पृष्ठमारुह्म वाजिन: । अपाक्रामद्धतरथो नातिदूरमरिंदम:,इस प्रकार रथके नष्ट हो जानेपर शत्रुदमन राजा दुर्योधन एक घोड़ेकी पीठपर सवार हो वहाँसे कुछ दूर हट गया
tato duryodhano rājā pṛṣṭham āruhya vājinaḥ | apākrāmad dhataratho nātidūram arindamaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Maka Raja Duryodhana—setelah keretanya musnah—menaiki belakang seekor kuda lalu berundur dari tempat itu, tidaklah jauh. Detik ini menandai suatu undur diri yang bersifat taktik di tengah kekacauan medan perang, memperlihatkan bahawa bahkan penguasa yang angkuh pun harus tunduk kepada keadaan apabila sarana pertempurannya telah lenyap.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the realism of dharma in war: valor is praised, yet prudence is necessary. When the chariot—symbol of martial capacity and royal display—is lost, the king adapts and withdraws, illustrating that survival and regrouping can be a legitimate tactical choice even for one styled 'enemy-tamer.'
After Duryodhana’s chariot has been destroyed, he mounts a horse and retreats a short distance from the immediate danger, indicating a brief withdrawal rather than a complete flight from the battlefield.