तान्य् अनीकानि भग्नानि द्रवमाणानि भारत ॥
अभ्यद्रवद् द्रुतं कर्णः पृष्ठतो विकिरञ् शरान् ॥
अवेक्षमाणास् ते ऽन्योन्यं सुसंमूढा विचेतसः ॥
नाशक्नुवन्न् अवस्थातुं काल्यमाना महात्मना ॥
कर्णेनाभ्याहता राजन् पाञ्चालाः परमेषुभिः ॥
द्रोणेन च दिशः सर्वा वीक्षमाणाः प्रदुद्रुवुः ॥
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा स्वसैन्यं प्रेक्ष्य विद्रुतम् ॥
अपयाने मतिं कृत्वा फल्गुनं वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥
tāny anīkāni bhagnāni dravamāṇāni bhārata ||
abhyadravad drutaṃ karṇaḥ pṛṣṭhato vikirañ śarān ||
avekṣamāṇās te 'nyonyaṃ susaṃmūḍhā vicetasaḥ ||
nāśaknuvann avasthātuṃ kālyamānā mahātmanā ||
karṇenābhyāhatā rājan pāñcālāḥ parameṣubhiḥ ||
droṇena ca diśaḥ sarvā vīkṣamāṇāḥ pradudruvuḥ ||
tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā svasainyaṃ prekṣya vidrutam ||
apayāne matiṃ kṛtvā phalgunaṃ vākyam abravīt ||
Those broken ranks, fleeing, o Bharata, Karna swiftly pursued, scattering arrows from behind. Looking at each other, utterly bewildered and out of their wits, they could not stand their ground, driven on by the great-souled one. Struck by Karna, o king, the Panchalas with excellent arrows, and by Drona — in all directions, looking about, they scattered in flight. Then king Yudhishthira, seeing his own army routed, having resolved on retreat, spoke a word to Phalguna [Arjuna].
b597ebc7ab45 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:49:34 PM UTC
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Even Yudhishthira, the king of steadfastness, "resolves on retreat": there comes an hour when even the righteous man feels all is lost. It is telling that he does not conceal his faintheartedness, but openly shares it with Arjuna. The verse teaches that even the strongest in spirit know moments of despair; and there is no shame in admitting them to a friend — for a shared anxiety seeks counsel and a way out, while a hidden one corrodes from within.