Shloka 82
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
राजन! तदनन्तर निशाके प्रारम्भकालमें पाण्डवोंसे पराजित होकर कौरव लज्जित हो अपने शिबिरको गये ।। शरविक्षतगात्रास्तु पाण्डुपुत्रा महारथा: । युद्धे सुमनसो भूत्वा जग्मु: स्वशिबिरं प्रति,महारथी पाण्डवोंके शरीर भी युद्धमें बाणोंसे क्षत-विक्षत हो गये थे, तथापि वे प्रसन्नचित्त होकर अपने शिबिरको लौटे
sañjaya uvāca | rājan! tadanantaraṃ niśāke prārambhakāle pāṇḍavair parājitāḥ kauravā lajjitāḥ svaśibiraṃ jagmuḥ || śaravikṣatagātrās tu pāṇḍuputrā mahārathāḥ | yuddhe sumanaso bhūtvā jagmuḥ svaśibiraṃ prati ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, thereafter, at the beginning of the night, the Kauravas—defeated by the Pāṇḍavas and filled with shame—returned to their own camp. The Pāṇḍava princes, great chariot-warriors though their bodies were torn and wounded by arrows in battle, nevertheless went back to their camp with uplifted hearts.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights warrior-composure and moral psychology: defeat brings shame and withdrawal, while disciplined courage can remain steady even amid pain. It implicitly values resilience, self-control, and adherence to one’s role (kṣatriya-dharma) without being broken by suffering.
At the start of night after a day’s fighting, the Kauravas—defeated by the Pāṇḍavas—retreat to their camp in embarrassment. The Pāṇḍavas, though wounded by arrows, return to their own camp in good spirits, indicating their tactical and moral advantage at that moment.