Shloka 24
तिष्ठ तिछतेति न च ते स्वयं तत्रावतस्थिरे । धुर्यानिन्मुच्य च रथाद्धतसूतात् स्वलंकृतान् । अधिरुहा हयान् योधा: क्षिप्रं पद्धिरचोदयन्,कुछ योद्धा दूसरोंसे 'ठहरो, ठहरो' कहते, परंतु स्वयं नहीं ठहरते थे। कितने ही योद्धा सारथिशून्य रथसे सजे-सजाये घोड़ोंको खोलकर उनपर सवार हो जाते और पैरोंसे ही शीघ्रतापूर्वक उन्हें हाँकने लगते थे
tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti na ca te svayaṃ tatrāvatāsthire | dhuryān nirmucya ca rathād dhatasūtāt su-alaṅkṛtān | adhiruhya hayān yodhāḥ kṣipraṃ paddhir acodayan |
सञ्जय उवाच— “तिष्ठ तिष्ठ” इति ते नूनं परस्परं नादयन्तोऽपि न स्वयमेव तत्रावतस्थिरे। केचित् तु हतसूतान् रथान् दृष्ट्वा धुर्येभ्यो विमुच्य स्वलङ्कृतान् हयान्, तानधिरुह्य योधाः पादैरेव क्षिप्रं प्रचोदयामासुः।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral-psychological truth: in crisis, people may demand discipline from others while failing to practice it themselves. It implicitly critiques hypocrisy and shows how fear and haste can override self-control (dama) and steadiness (dhṛti) expected in dharmic conduct.
On the battlefield, confusion spreads. Warriors shout for others to halt, yet they themselves keep moving. Some, whose charioteers have been killed, unyoke the decorated horses from their chariots, mount them directly, and drive them forward with their feet to escape or reposition quickly.