ते स्वप्रयासं वितथं निरीक्ष्य हरावभक्ता हतयुद्धदर्पा: । पलायनायाजिमुखे विसृज्य पतिं मनस्ते दधुरात्तसारा: ॥ २९ ॥
te sva-prayasam vitatham niriksya harav abhakta hata-yuddha-darpah palayanayaji-mukhe visrjya patim manas te dadhur atta-sarah
- te
- they (the demons)
- sva-prayasam
- their own endeavors
- vitatham
- fruitless
- niriksya
- seeing
- harau abhaktah
- the asuras, those who are not devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- hata
- defeated
- yuddha-darpah
- their pride in fighting
- palayanaya
- for leaving the battlefield
- aji-mukhe
- in the very beginning of the battle
- visrjya
- leaving aside
- patim
- their commander, Vrtrasura
- manah
- their minds
- te
- all of them
- dadhuh
- gave
- atta-sarah
- whose prowess was taken away
The asuras, who are never devotees of Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, lost their pride in fighting when they found all their endeavors futile. Leaving aside their leader even in the very beginning of the fight, they decided to flee because all their prowess had been taken away by the enemy.