Shloka 29
Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 77 — Saindhava resistance, Arjuna’s restraint, and Duḥśalā’s supplication
तस्य शब्देन वित्रेसुर्भयार्ताश्च विदुद्र॒ुवु: । मुमुचुश्नाश्रु शोकार्ता: शुशुचुश्चापि सैन्धवा:
tasya śabdena vitrēsurbhayārtāś ca vidudruvuḥ | mumucuś cāśru śokārtāḥ śuśucuś cāpi saindhavāḥ ||
毗舍摩波罗耶那说道：闻其声者，皆为恐惧所震；被惧意逼迫的人四散奔逃。诸赛因达婆武士又为哀伤所压，泪落如雨，号哭不止——甘狄婆弓弦之响骇人至极，折断其胆气，仿佛预告覆灭。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how inner states—fear and grief—can collapse martial resolve even before weapons strike. In the epic’s ethical frame, true strength is not only physical prowess but steadiness of mind; panic leads to flight, while attachment and loss lead to lamentation.
A formidable sound—understood in context as the twang of Arjuna’s Gāṇḍīva—reverberates across the field. Hearing it, many warriors panic and flee, while the Saindhavas, already burdened by impending defeat and loss, weep and mourn.