Shloka 38

Devanagari script

दिग्भ्यस्तान्‌ प्रद्रुतान्‌ दृष्टवा मुनि: सारस्वतस्तदा

Transliteration

digbhyas tān pradrutān dṛṣṭvā muniḥ sārasvatas tadā

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Nang magkagayon, pagkakita niyang ang mga tao’y nagsisitakas at nagkakawatak-watak sa lahat ng dako, napansin ng pantas na si Sārasvata ang pagkalansag ng hanay—larawang nagpapakita na ang takot at pagkalito ay kayang magkalat maging ng mga hukbong may sandata kapag gumuho ang tatag at wastong kaayusan sa digmaan.

Word by Word

दिग्भ्यःfrom the directions

तान्them

प्रद्रुतान्fleeing / having run away

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

मुनिःthe sage

सारस्वतःSarasvata (named/descended from Sarasvatī)

तदाthen

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sārasvata (sage)

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 a moral-psychological truth of warfare: when discipline and dharma-based resolve break, fear spreads and people scatter in every direction. It implicitly contrasts steadiness and duty with panic-driven flight.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports that the sage Sārasvata observes people/warriors fleeing on all sides, indicating a moment of battlefield disorder or rout that sets up the next action or counsel in the episode.