Shloka 17
अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit
सम्भ्रान्तनरनागाश्वमपतद् विद्रुतं बलम् । हतविध्वस्तभूयिष्ठमावर्तत मुहुर्मुहु:
sambhrāntanaranāgāśvam apatat vidrutaṃ balam | hatavidhvastabhūyiṣṭham āvartata muhurmuhuḥ ||
กองทัพตกตะลึง—ทั้งคน ช้าง และม้าล้วนอลหม่าน—แล้วแตกพ่ายหนีไป ส่วนใหญ่ถูกสังหารและย่อยยับ แต่ก็ยังวกวนกลับไปกลับมาอยู่ครั้งแล้วครั้งเล่า
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear and confusion rapidly dissolve collective strength: when discipline and clarity fail, even a great force becomes directionless—an ethical reminder that violence breeds instability and that leadership and self-control are crucial in crisis.
Vaiśampāyana describes a battlefield moment where the force has been heavily killed and broken; the survivors flee in disorder and repeatedly wheel back, suggesting a rout with intermittent, ineffective attempts to regroup.