Shloka 83

Devanagari script

तस्य शब्देन वित्रस्ता: प्राद्रवंस्तावका युधि । क्षत्रधर्म समुत्सूज्य पलायनपरायणा:,उनके उस शब्दसे भयभीत हो आपके सारे सैनिक युद्धसे भाग चले। वे क्षत्रियधर्मको छोड़कर पीठ दिखाने लग गये

Transliteration

tasya śabdena vitrastāḥ prādravams tāvakā yudhi | kṣatradharma samutsṛjya palāyanaparāyaṇāḥ ||

Translation

ਉਸ ਭਿਆਨਕ ਗੱਜਣ ਨਾਲ ਡਰ ਕੇ ਤੇਰੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਸਿਪਾਹੀ ਜੰਗ ਦੇ ਮੈਦਾਨ ਤੋਂ ਭੱਜ ਗਏ। ਖ਼ਤਰੀ ਧਰਮ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ ਉਹ ਪਿੱਠ ਦਿਖਾਉਣ ਲੱਗੇ ਅਤੇ ਕੇਵਲ ਪਲਾਇਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੀ ਲੱਗ ਪਏ।

Word by Word

तस्यof him/its

शब्देनby/with the sound

वित्रस्ताःterrified

प्राद्रवन्ran away/fled

तावकाःyour men/your troops

युधिin battle

क्षत्रधर्मम्the duty of a kshatriya

समुत्सृज्यhaving abandoned

पलायनपरायणाःintent on flight; devoted to fleeing

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied addressee via 'tāvakāḥ')

Kaurava troops (tāvakāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts kṣatriya-dharma—steadfastness and courage in rightful battle—with the moral and social failure implied in panic-driven flight. It frames fear-induced retreat as an abandonment of one’s ordained duty and battlefield ethics.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, upon hearing a formidable sound (a roar/cry associated with a powerful warrior’s advance), the Kaurava soldiers became terrified and fled the fight, turning their backs and focusing only on escape.