Yoga-māyā Appears as Durgā; Kaṁsa’s Repentance and the Demonic Policy of Persecuting Vaiṣṇavas
अस्यतस्ते शरव्रातैर्हन्यमाना: समन्तत: । जिजीविषव उत्सृज्य पलायनपरा ययु: ॥ ३३ ॥
asyatas te śara-vrātair hanyamānāḥ samantataḥ jijīviṣava utsṛjya palāyana-parā yayuḥ
Enquanto eram perfurados por suas flechas, que você disparava de todos os lados, alguns deles, feridos pela multidão de flechas, mas desejando viver, fugiram do campo de batalha.
It says that when a warrior showered arrows, the opposing side—wounded from all directions—gave up the fight out of fear for their lives and fled.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating this verse to Mahārāja Parīkṣit as part of the Canto 10 storyline.
When fear dominates and the goal becomes mere self-preservation, people abandon principle; the verse encourages steadiness and dharmic resolve instead of panic-driven choices.