संजय उवाच
प्राग् एव विद्रुतान् दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान् युधिष्ठिरः ॥
पुनश् च तुमुलं शब्दं श्रुत्वार्जुनम् अभाषत ॥
आचार्ये निहते द्रोणे धृष्टद्युम्नेन संयुगे ॥
निहते वज्रहस्तेन यथा वृत्रे महासुरे ॥
नाशंसन्त जयं युद्धे दीनात्मानो धनंजय ॥
आत्मत्राणे मतिं कृत्वा प्राद्रवन् कुरवो यथा ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
prāg eva vidrutān dṛṣṭvā dhārtarāṣṭrān yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
punaś ca tumulaṃ śabdaṃ śrutvārjunam abhāṣata ||
ācārye nihate droṇe dhṛṣṭadyumnena saṃyuge ||
nihate vajrahastena yathā vṛtre mahāsure ||
nāśaṃsanta jayaṃ yuddhe dīnātmāno dhanaṃjaya ||
ātmatrāṇe matiṃ kṛtvā prādravan kuravo yathā ||
Having earlier already seen the Dhartarashtras fleeing, Yudhishthira, and hearing again the tumultuous roar, spoke to Arjuna: "When the Acharya Drona was slain by Dhrishtadyumna in battle — as Vritra, the great asura, was slain by the wielder of the vajra [Indra] — the Kurus, dejected in spirit, O Dhananjaya, no longer hoped for victory in battle; turning their minds to saving themselves, they fled."
eb011cc215fe · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
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Yudhishthira likens Drona's death to Vritra's fall at Indra's hand — yet the comparison itself betrays unease, for Vritra fell in fair combat, while Drona fell to deceit. It is significant that the fleeing army turned its "mind to saving itself": fear crowds out every other thought. The verse teaches that rout begins in the mind before it begins in the ranks; and when thought turns only to saving oneself, an army is already broken within, however intact it may appear from without.