Shloka 2
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
दुर्मुख: कृतवर्मा च कृप: शल्यो विविंशति: । भीष्म जुगुपुरासाद्य तव पुत्रेण चोदिता:
sañjaya uvāca | durmukhaḥ kṛtavarmā ca kṛpaḥ śalyo viviṁśatiḥ | bhīṣmaṁ jugupur āsādya tava putreṇa coditāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: At your son’s command, Durmukha, Kṛtavarmā, Kṛpa, Śalya, and Viviṁśati came up to Bhīṣma and took up his protection—seeking to shield the grandsire amid that dreadful battle where mighty heroes were being destroyed.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between duty to one’s commander and the broader moral weight of war: warriors, compelled by loyalty and command, rally to protect a revered elder (Bhīṣma) even as the battle remains ethically complex.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, on Duryodhana’s instruction, several prominent Kaurava-aligned fighters approach Bhīṣma and form a protective guard around him in the midst of the fierce fighting.