Shloka 74

Devanagari script

पराड्मुखं तु राजानं दृष्टवा सैन्यानि भारत । विप्रजग्मु: समुत्सृज्य द्वैरथानि समन्ततः,भारत! राजा दुर्योधनको युद्धसे विमुख हुआ देख सारी सेनाएँ सब ओरसे द्वैरथ-युद्ध छोड़कर भाग चलीं

Transliteration

parāṅmukhaṃ tu rājānaṃ dṛṣṭvā sainyāni bhārata | viprajagmuḥ samutsṛjya dvairathāni samantataḥ ||

Translation

சஞ்சயன் கூறினான்—பாரதா! அரசன் துரியோதனன் போரிலிருந்து முகம் திருப்பியதைக் கண்டு, படைகள் அனைத்தும் எங்கும் ரதம்-ரதமாக நடந்த போரைக் கைவிட்டு சிதறி ஓடின.

Word by Word

पराङ्मुखम्turned away; facing away (from battle)

तुbut

राजानम्the king

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

सैन्यानिthe armies; troops

भारतO Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)

विप्रजग्मुःthey fled; they went away

समुत्सृज्यhaving abandoned; having cast off

द्वैरथानिchariot-duels; chariot-fights

समन्ततःon all sides; everywhere

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)

the king (Duryodhana)

the troops/armies

chariots (as the context of dvairatha combat)

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 the ethical and practical weight of leadership in war: when the ruler loses resolve or appears to retreat, the collective discipline of the army collapses. Courage and order in a dharmic battle depend not only on individual valor but also on the visible steadiness of the leader.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the Kaurava troops see their king (Duryodhana) turned away from the fight. Interpreting this as withdrawal or loss of heart, they abandon the ongoing chariot-to-chariot engagements on all sides and flee, signaling a sudden breakdown of the battle formation.