Shloka 79
भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas
रात्रि: समभवत् तत्र नापश्याम ततो<नुगान् | ततो<वहारं सैन्यानां प्रचक्रु: कुरुपाण्डवा:,भरतनन्दन! उस समय जब अधिकांश सैनिक परिश्रमसे चूर-चूर हो रहे थे, कितने ही भाग गये थे और बहुतेरे योद्धा रौंद डाले गये थे, रात हो गयी थी एवं हमें अपने सेवक नहीं दिखायी दे रहे थे, तब कौरवों और पाण्डवोंने अपनी-अपनी सेनाको युद्धभूमिसे लौटनेका आदेश दे दिया
sañjaya uvāca | rātriḥ samabhavat tatra nāpaśyāma tato'nugān | tato'vahāraṃ sainyānāṃ pracakruḥ kuru-pāṇḍavā bharatanandana |
Sanjaya said: Night fell there, and we could no longer see our attendants. Then, O delight of the Bharatas, both the Kurus and the Pandavas gave the order for their respective armies to withdraw from the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in total war, action is bounded by practical and ethical limits: darkness, loss of visibility, and the exhaustion of troops compel restraint. The verse highlights the necessity of command discipline—ordering withdrawal to prevent further indiscriminate harm when conditions no longer allow responsible combat.
As night descends and attendants cannot be seen, both sides—the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas—issue orders for their armies to withdraw from the battlefield, marking a pause in fighting after severe fatigue and chaos.