Shloka 9
Kṛtavarmā–Sātyaki Chariot Duel and Kaurava Morale Shock (कृतवर्म-सात्यकि-द्वैरथम्)
ततः प्रभग्ना सहसा महाचमू: सा पाण्डवी तेन नराधिपेन । दिशश्चतस्र: सहसा विधाविता गजेन्द्रवेगं तमपारयन्ती
tataḥ prabhagnā sahasā mahācamūḥ sā pāṇḍavī tena narādhipena | diśaś catasraḥ sahasā vidhāvitā gajendravegaṃ tam apārayantī ||
Wika ni Sañjaya: Pagkaraan, biglang nagkawatak-watak sa kaguluhan ang napakalaking hukbo ng mga Pāṇḍava dahil sa haring iyon. Hindi nila nakayanan ang biglang salakay na tila paglusob ng hari ng mga elepante, kaya’t agad silang nagsitakas sa apat na panig. Nang makita ng mga pangunahing mandirigma sa inyong panig ang mabilis na hukbong iyon na tumatakas, pinuri nila ang haring Mleccha na si Śālva at hinipan ang kanilang mga kabibe, maningning na gaya ng buwan, sa larangan ng digmaan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly collective morale can collapse under overwhelming force, and how battlefield acclaim (praise and conch-blasts) is used to amplify perceived superiority—an ethical reminder that victory and fear often spread through psychological contagion as much as through weapons.
Śālva’s charge is described as having the force of a great elephant; the Pāṇḍava host cannot endure it and scatters in all directions. Seeing this, the leading warriors on Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s side praise Śālva and blow their conches in triumph.