Shloka 196
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 125: Duryodhana’s despair and vow after Jayadratha’s fall (जयद्रथवधे दुर्योधनविलापः)
भयात् पतगराजस्य गर्तानीव महोरगा: । जैसे बड़े-बड़े सर्प गरुड़के भयसे बिलोंमें घुस जाते हैं, उसी प्रकार आपके वे सभी पराजित सैनिक द्रोणाचार्यके रथके पास इकट्ठे हो गये
bhayāt patagarājasya gartānīva mahoragāḥ |
भयात् पतगराजस्य गर्तानीव महोरगाः । तथा ते परिभूताः सर्वे द्रोणरथं समाश्रिताः॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear drives beings to seek shelter under a stronger protector: defeated warriors instinctively cluster around a commanding figure (Droṇa), just as serpents retreat to burrows when threatened by Garuḍa. It underscores the psychological ethics of battle—panic, dependence, and the search for security amid collapse.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava troops, having been routed, regroup near Droṇācārya’s chariot for protection and reorganization, using the vivid comparison of serpents hiding from Garuḍa.