Shloka 2

Devanagari script

विमुच्य वाहांस्त्वरिता भीता समभवंस्तदा । गहन देशमासाद्य प्रच्छन्ना न्यविशन्त ते,शत्रुओंको पता न लग जाय, इस भयसे वे सब-के-सब डरे हुए थे, अतः बड़ी उतावलीके साथ वनके गहन प्रदेशमें जाकर उन्होंने घोड़ोंकोी खोल दिया और छिपकर एक स्थानपर वे जा बैठे

Transliteration

vimucya vāhāṁs tvaritā bhītā samabhavaṁs tadā | gahana-deśam āsādya pracchannā nyaviśanta te ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, seized by fear and acting in haste, they unyoked their mounts. Reaching a dense and secluded tract, they concealed themselves and sat down there, anxious that the enemy might discover their whereabouts. The verse highlights the psychological aftermath of battle—fear, concealment, and the instinct for survival overriding open confrontation.

Word by Word

विमुच्यhaving released

वाहान्horses / mounts

त्वरिताःhastened, in a hurry

भीताःafraid

समभवन्they became / came to be

तदाthen

गहनम्dense, deep

देशम्place, region

आसाद्यhaving reached

प्रच्छन्नाःhidden, concealed

न्यविशन्तthey sat down / took position

तेthey

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

mounts/horses (vāhāḥ)

dense forest region (gahana-deśa)

enemies (śatravaḥ, implied by context)

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 underscores how fear and uncertainty can drive people to secrecy and flight after violent conflict. It implicitly contrasts the chaos of adharma-driven war with the need for steadiness and discernment; when moral order collapses, even warriors may resort to concealment and panic.

What is happening in the narrative?

A group (contextually, survivors/warriors) quickly releases their mounts and withdraws into a dense forest area. They hide and sit there, worried that enemies might track them down.