Shloka 10
Droṇa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna-yuddha (द्रोण-धृष्टद्युम्न-युद्धम्) — Tactical duel and allied interventions
तावुभौ कुरुशार्दूलौ परस्परवधैषिणौ । गाड़ेयस्तु रणे पार्थ विद्धवा नाकम्पयद् बली
tāv ubhau kuruśārdūlau parasparavadhaiṣiṇau | gāḍeyas tu raṇe pārtha viddhvā nākampayad balī ||
Sañjaya said: Both those heroes, lions among the Kurus, were intent on slaying one another. Yet mighty Bhīṣma, though he struck Pārtha (Arjuna) in battle and wounded him, could not make him waver—revealing the steadfast resolve of a warrior unshaken amid injury and peril.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when wounded and under extreme pressure, a warrior committed to duty should not lose composure. The verse highlights steadiness (akampanatā) as a key ethical quality in battle—courage expressed as unwavering resolve rather than mere aggression.
Sanjaya describes a fierce exchange between two foremost Kuru champions—Bhishma and Arjuna—each seeking to defeat the other. Bhishma manages to wound Arjuna, but Arjuna remains unshaken, indicating the intensity of the duel and Arjuna’s firmness of mind.