Shloka 41
Duryodhana’s Anxiety, Bhīṣma’s Reassurance, and Renewed Mobilization (दुर्योधनचिन्ता–भीष्मप्रत्याश्वासन–सेनानिर्गमनम्)
मुक्तकेशा विकवचा विरथाश्शकछिन्नकार्मुका: । बाहुभि: समयुध्यन्त सूंजया: कुरुभि: सह
muktakeśā vikavacā virathāś chinna-kārmukāḥ | bāhubhiḥ samayudhyanta sūñjayāḥ kurubhiḥ saha ||
Sañjaya sprach: Viele Sṛñjaya-Krieger—mit gelöstem Haar, ohne Panzer, ohne Wagen und mit zerschlagenen Bögen—kämpften dennoch weiter gegen die Kuru-Soldaten und gingen mit bloßen Armen in den Nahkampf.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness in battle: even when external supports—armor, chariot, and weapons—are lost, a warrior’s resolve and duty-driven courage can persist. Ethically, it underscores the kṣatriya ideal of not abandoning one’s post in the face of adversity.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield turning brutal and close-range: Sṛñjaya fighters, having lost armor, chariots, and even their bows, continue fighting the Kuru troops directly with their arms in wrestling-like combat.