Shloka 156
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
भीमसेन परित्यज्य संन्यवर्तन्त चेदय: । महाबली चेदि सैनिक यथाशक्ति पुरुषार्थ प्रकट करके भीमसेनको छोड़कर भाग चले
bhīmasenaṁ parityajya saṁnyavartanta cedayāḥ | mahābalī cedi-sainikā yathāśakti puruṣārthaṁ prakaṭya bhīmasenaṁ tyaktvā palāyanta ||
散阇耶说道：车提诸军虽皆骁勇，亦尽其所能显露英武；然而他们终究弃毗摩塞那而去，回身退却，奔逃四散。此景昭示：战场恐怖之中，勇气也会在压倒性的强力面前崩解，化作仓皇撤退。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when warriors strive to show valor (puruṣārtha) to the best of their ability (yathāśakti), fear and the perception of an overpowering opponent can lead to abandonment and flight; the verse implicitly contrasts ideal kṣatriya steadfastness with human vulnerability under extreme pressure.
Sañjaya reports that the Cedi fighters, after attempting resistance, abandon Bhīma and withdraw; their formation breaks and they flee from the battlefield in the face of Bhīmasena’s onslaught.