Shloka 14
अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit
गान्धारराजपुत्रस्तु पलायनकृतक्षण: । ययौ तैरेव सहितत्त्रस्तै: क्षुद्रमूगैरिव
gāndhārarājaputrastu palāyanakṛtakṣaṇaḥ | yayau taireva sahitaḥ trastaiḥ kṣudramṛgair iva ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana nói: Con trai vua xứ Gandhāra chớp lấy cơ hội bỏ chạy, rồi cùng đám người khiếp đảm ấy tháo lui—như bầy nai nhỏ tán loạn vì sợ sư tử.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When one’s actions are rooted in unrighteousness or opportunism, courage tends to fail under pressure; fear exposes inner weakness, whereas steadfast valor aligned with dharma compels even aggressors to retreat.
The Gāndhāra king’s son notices a chance to escape and flees along with other frightened soldiers, compared to small deer scattering in terror—implying they are overwhelmed by the threat (contextually, Arjuna’s prowess).