Shloka 54
भीष्मधनंजयद्वैरथम्
Bhīṣma–Dhanaṃjaya Duel and the Opening Clash
न शवनुतां तदान्योन्यमभिसंधातुमाहवे । इस प्रकार वे दोनों वीर एक-दूसरेके वधके लिये पूरा प्रयत्न कर रहे थे; तथापि वे युद्धभूमिमें परस्पर अभिसंधान (घातक प्रहार) करनेमें सफल न हो सके || ५३ ई ।।
na śaśaknūtāṁ tadānyonyam abhisandhātum āhave | tau maṇḍalāni citrāṇi gatapratyāgatāni ca ||
Sañjaya said: At that time, in the battle, the two warriors could not succeed in striking one another with a decisive, lethal blow. Though each strove with full intent to bring about the other’s death, their movements—circling in varied and intricate patterns, advancing and withdrawing—kept them from finding a clear opening for a finishing strike.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when intent is fierce and effort is complete, outcomes in war are constrained by circumstance—skill, timing, and the opponent’s equal prowess. The verse highlights the limits of sheer will in violence and the way conflict can become a prolonged contest of maneuver rather than immediate destruction.
Sanjaya describes two opposing heroes locked in close combat. Each tries to land a decisive, killing strike, but both keep evading through intricate circular maneuvers and repeated advances and withdrawals, preventing a conclusive blow.