Shloka 49
Chapter 89: Bhīma dispatched to protect Ghaṭotkaca amid escalating engagements
दुर्योधनो5पि नृपति: परिवार्य महारणे । भीष्म॑ शान्तनवं तूर्ण प्रयात: शिबिरं प्रति,राजा दुर्योधन भी महायुद्धमें शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्मको घेरकर तुरंत ही अपने शिविरको लौट गया
duryodhano 'pi nṛpatiḥ parivārya mahāraṇe | bhīṣmaṃ śāntanavaṃ tūrṇaṃ prayātaḥ śibiraṃ prati ||
Sañjaya said: Even King Duryodhana, having surrounded Bhīṣma—the son of Śāntanu—amid the great battle, quickly withdrew and returned toward his own camp.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, even powerful leaders act under pressure and calculation; ethical steadiness (dharma-guided leadership) is tested when ambition and urgency dominate decisions, especially in relation to venerable elders like Bhīṣma.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, after surrounding Bhīṣma in the thick of the great battle, quickly departs and heads back toward his own military camp.