गान्धारराजः शकुनिस् त्रस्तस् त्रस्ततरैः सह ॥
हतं रुक्मरथं दृष्ट्वा प्राद्रवत् सहितो रथैः ॥
वरूथिनीं वेगवतीं विद्रुतां सपताकिनीम् ॥
परिगृह्य महासेनां सूतपुत्रो ऽपयाद् भयात् ॥
रथनागाश्वकलिलां पुरस्कृत्य तु वाहिनीम् ॥
मद्राणाम् ईश्वरः शल्यो वीक्षमाणो ऽपयाद् भयात् ॥
gāndhārarājaḥ śakunis trastas trastataraiḥ saha ||
hataṃ rukmarathaṃ dṛṣṭvā prādravat sahito rathaiḥ ||
varūthinīṃ vegavatīṃ vidrutāṃ sapatākinīm ||
parigṛhya mahāsenāṃ sūtaputro 'payād bhayāt ||
rathanāgāśvakalilāṃ puraskṛtya tu vāhinīm ||
madrāṇām īśvaraḥ śalyo vīkṣamāṇo 'payād bhayāt ||
The king of Gandhara, Shakuni, terrified, with those still more terrified, seeing Rukmaratha [the golden-chariot Drona] slain, fled together with the chariots. The swift host, turned to flight, with banners -- gathering the great army, the son of the suta [Karna] withdrew in fear. Thrusting forward the host thronged with chariots, elephants and horses, the lord of the Madras, Shalya, looking about, withdrew in fear.
caa81a6664c7 · प्रकाशित 19 जुल॰ 2026, 5:08:17 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
One by one the leaders flee by name -- Shakuni, Karna, Shalya: the roll call turns a general rout into a chain of personal defeats. It is telling that even the mightiest retreat "in fear," sheltering behind their armies: Drona's death has broken the spine of the whole host. The verse teaches that fear is contagious and descends from the top downward -- when the leaders waver, the army cannot hold; and so the heaviest burden falls on the one others look to as their support.