द्रवमाणं बलं दृष्ट्वा पलायनकृतक्षणम् ॥
दुर्योधनं समासाद्य द्रोणपुत्रो ऽब्रवीद् इदम् ॥
किम् इयं द्रवते सेना त्रस्तरूपेव भारत ॥
द्रवमाणां च राजेन्द्र नावस्थापयसे रणे ॥
त्वं चापि न यथापूर्वं प्रकृतिस्थो नराधिप ॥
कर्णप्रभृतयश् चेमे नावतिष्ठन्ति पार्थिवाः ॥
अन्येष्व् अपि च युद्धेषु नैव सेनाद्रवत् तदा ॥
कच्चित् क्षेमं महाबाहो तव सैन्यस्य भारत ॥
dravamāṇaṃ balaṃ dṛṣṭvā palāyanakṛtakṣaṇam ||
duryodhanaṃ samāsādya droṇaputro 'bravīd idam ||
kim iyaṃ dravate senā trastarūpeva bhārata ||
dravamāṇāṃ ca rājendra nāvasthāpayase raṇe ||
tvaṃ cāpi na yathāpūrvaṃ prakṛtistho narādhipa ||
karṇaprabhṛtayaś ceme nāvatiṣṭhanti pārthivāḥ ||
anyeṣv api ca yuddheṣu naiva senādravat tadā ||
kaccit kṣemaṃ mahābāho tava sainyasya bhārata ||
Seeing the army fleeing, having seized the moment for flight, the son of Drona, approaching Duryodhana, said this: "Why does this army flee, as if terrified in appearance, O Bharata? And this one in flight, O lord of kings, you do not halt in battle? And you too are not as before, not in your natural state, O ruler of men; and these kings, headed by Karna, do not stand firm. And in other battles too the army never fled thus then. Is all well, O mighty-armed one, with your army, O Bharata?"
230bff94ab9d · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
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Ashvatthaman reads disaster from the look of the army and Duryodhana's face before knowing its cause: a sensitive heart discerns misfortune before the news arrives. It is telling that his question is filled with concern for others -- "is all well?" -- not fear for himself. The verse teaches that the signs of disaster show on faces before words; and one attentive to those near him senses their grief through silent turmoil -- though the heaviest truth can sometimes not be spoken aloud.