Shloka 30
द्रौणिप्रतिज्ञा–नारायणास्त्रवर्णनम्
Drauṇi’s Vow and the Description of the Nārāyaṇāstra
तदनन्तर कर्णपुत्र वृषसेनके भयसे त्रस्त हो सोमकवंशी क्षत्रिय उसी प्रकार भागने लगे, जैसे तारकामय संग्राममें इन्द्रके भयसे डरे हुए दानव भागे थे ।। तेना्यमाना: समरे द्रवमाणाश्षु सोमका: । व्यराजन्त महाराज प्रदीपैरवभासिता:,महाराज! समरभूमिमें वृषसेनसे पीड़ित होकर भागते हुए सोमक-योद्धा प्रदीपोंसे प्रकाशित हो बड़ी शोभा पा रहे थे
tad-anantaraṁ karṇa-putra-vṛṣasenake bhayena trastaḥ somaka-vaṁśīyaḥ kṣatriyāḥ tathā palāyituṁ pracakramuḥ, yathā tārakāmaye saṅgrāme indrasya bhayāt trastā dānavāḥ palāyante sma. tena pīḍyamānāḥ samare dravamāṇāś ca somakāḥ; vyarājanta mahārāja pradīpair avabhāsitāḥ.
सञ्जय उवाच—तदनन्तरं कर्णपुत्रवृषसेनभयत्रस्ताः सोमकक्षत्रियाः पलायितुमारेभिरे; यथा तारकामये समरे इन्द्रभयवित्रस्ताः दैत्याः। तेन पीड्यमानाः समरे द्रवमाणाः सोमकाः, महाराज, प्रदीपैः प्रकाशिता व्यराजन्त।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear can overturn even Kshatriya resolve in the chaos of war, while also showing the epic’s moral realism: prowess and pressure on the battlefield can cause rout, and outward ‘splendor’ (illumination by torches) can coexist with inner panic—an implicit reminder that true steadiness is a higher virtue than mere martial display.
Vrishasena, Karna’s son, presses the Somaka fighters so hard that they break formation and flee. Sanjaya compares their flight to the Dānavas fleeing Indra in a legendary ‘starry’ battle, and notes that the fleeing Somakas look conspicuous and striking as torchlight illuminates them on the battlefield.