Shloka 39

Devanagari script

न निवर्तयितुं चापि शक्‍्येयं महती चमू: । अन्योन्यप्रेक्षया पश्य द्रवतीयं वरूथिनी,“यह विशाल सेना इस समय पीछे नहीं लौटायी जा सकती। देखिये, सारे सैनिक एक- दूसरेकी देखा-देखी भागे जा रहे हैं

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | na nivartayituṃ cāpi śakye'yaṃ mahatī camūḥ | anyonya-prekṣayā paśya dravatīyaṃ varūthinī |

Translation

இந்தப் பெரும் சேனையை இப்போது பின்னோக்கித் திருப்ப இயலாது. பாருங்கள்—ஒருவன் மற்றொருவன் ஓடுவதைக் கண்டு தானும் ஓடுகிறான்; முழுப் படைவ்யூகம் சிதறி ஓடையாகப் பாய்ந்து செல்கிறது.

Word by Word

नnot

निवर्तयितुम्to turn back, to cause to retreat

चand

अपिalso/even

शक्येयम्I could be able / it would be possible (for me)

महतीgreat, huge

चमूःarmy

अन्योन्यप्रेक्षयाby mutual looking at one another / by seeing others

पश्यsee, behold

द्रवतिruns, flees

इयम्this

वरूथिनीarmy, host, battalion

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

camū (army/host)

varūthinī (battle-array)

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 highlights how quickly morale collapses when fear becomes contagious: people imitate what they see. In ethical terms, it warns that without inner steadiness and disciplined leadership, even a powerful force becomes ungovernable and loses its capacity to act rightly and effectively.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that the large army cannot be made to retreat in an orderly way; instead, soldiers are fleeing because they see others fleeing—an uncontrolled rout of the battle formation.