Shloka 74

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

प्रभग्नं च बल॑ दृष्टवा वध्यमानं महारथै: । पराड्मुखांश्व राज्ञस्तु पलायनपरायणान्‌

Transliteration

prabhagnaṃ ca balaṃ dṛṣṭvā vadhyamānaṃ mahārathaiḥ | parāṅmukhāṃś ca rājñas tu palāyanaparāyaṇān ||

Translation

Wika ni Vaiśampāyana: Nang makita niyang wasak ang hukbo at pinapatay ng mga dakilang mandirigmang nakasakay sa karwahe, at makita ang mga hari na nakatalikod ang mukha—tanging pagtakas ang nasa isip—(nasaksihan niya ang pagguho ng loob sa gitna ng siksik na labanan).

Word by Word

• प्रभग्नम्: broken, routed
• प्रभग्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभग्न (प्र-√भञ्ज)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• बलम्: army, force
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• वध्यमानम्: being slain
• वध्यमानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्यमान (√वध्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महारथैः: by great chariot-warriors
• महारथैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• पराङ्मुखान्: turned away, facing away
• पराङ्मुखान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराङ्मुख
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• राज्ञः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• पलायनपरायणान्: intent on flight, devoted to fleeing
• पलायनपरायणान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पलायन-परायण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• mahāratha (great chariot-warriors)
• rājānaḥ (kings)
• bala (army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical crisis of war: when an army breaks and leaders turn to flight, collective morale collapses. It implicitly contrasts kṣatriya ideals of steadfastness and protection with the human reality of fear and self-preservation under overwhelming violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a battlefield moment where the force has been routed and is being slaughtered by elite warriors; many kings have turned away from the fight and are focused on escaping, signaling a decisive breakdown in resistance.