Shloka 5
Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)
के तं यान्तमनुप्राप्ता: के वास्यासन् पुरोगमा: । के5तिष्ठन् के न्यवर्तन्त के<न्ववर्तन्त संजय,संजय! जिस समय वे युद्धके लिये अग्रसर हुए थे, उस समय इनके पीछे कौन गये थे अथवा उनके आगे कौन-कौन वीर थे? कौन उनके साथ युद्धमें डटे रहे? कौन युद्ध छोड़कर भाग गये? और किन लोगोंने सर्वधा उनका अनुसरण किया था?
ke taṁ yāntam anuprāptāḥ ke vāsyāsan purogamāḥ | ke tiṣṭhan ke nyavartanta ke nvavartanta sañjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Sañjaya, when they advanced toward battle, who followed behind him, and who were his vanguard? Who stood firm with him in the fight, who turned back and fled, and who, on the contrary, kept following him unwaveringly?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical scrutiny in war: true leadership is measured by who advances, who stands firm under pressure, who retreats from fear, and who remains steadfast in loyalty. It implicitly contrasts courage and constancy with wavering and desertion—key concerns within kṣatriya-dharma.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya for a detailed battlefield report. He asks about the formation and morale: who followed the advancing leader, who led from the front, who held their ground in combat, who withdrew, and who continued to follow without turning back.