Shloka 743
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
विद्रुतान् रथिनो दृष्टवा मन्ये शोचति पुत्रक: । दुर्मैषण और वृषसेन भी युद्धमें मारे गये
vidrutān rathino dṛṣṭvā manye śocati putrakaḥ |
वैशम्पायन उवाच—विद्रुतान् रथिनो दृष्ट्वा मन्ये शोचति मे सुतः। दुर्मैषणो वृषसेनश्च रणमध्ये निपातितौ; पाण्डवैर्महारथैर्हतप्रायेषु सैन्येषु त्रासो जातः, भगदडश्च प्रवृत्तः। सहायभूता नृपाः संग्रामात् विमुखाः पलायन्ते, रथिनश्च पृष्ठं दर्शयन्ति। एतत्सर्वं दृष्ट्वा मम पुत्रः शोकाकुलो भवेदिति मे मतिः।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical and psychological cost of war: when key warriors fall, collective morale collapses, and even those bound by kṣatriya duty may retreat. It underscores how leadership, courage, and adherence to dharma are tested under catastrophic loss.
After Durmaiṣaṇa and Vṛṣasena are killed and the Pāṇḍavas strike the opposing forces hard, the army breaks into a rout. Allied kings and chariot-warriors flee, and Vaiśampāyana infers that his son (the listener within the frame narrative) must be grieving upon seeing this collapse.