Shloka 18
द्रोणपर्व (अध्याय १) — भीष्मनिधनानन्तरं धृतराष्ट्रस्य शोकः, सेनायाः स्थितिः, कर्णस्मरणं च
Droṇa Parva, Chapter 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s grief after Bhīṣma’s fall and the army’s reorientation toward Karṇa
विधाय रक्षां भीष्माय समाभाष्य परस्परम् | अनुमान्य च गाड़ेयं कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम्,इसी प्रकार परस्पर वार्तालाप करके भीष्मजीकी रक्षाकी व्यवस्था कर दी और उन गंगानन्दन देवव्रतकी अनुमति ले उनकी परिक्रमा करके आपसमें मिलकर वे कालवप्रेरित क्षत्रिय क्रोधसे लाल आँखें किये पुनः युद्धके लिये निकले
vidhāya rakṣāṃ bhīṣmāya samābhāṣya parasparam | anumānya ca gāṅgeyaṃ kṛtvā cāpi pradakṣiṇam ||
Sañjaya said: Having arranged protection for Bhīṣma, and after conversing among themselves, they sought the assent of Gāṅgeya (Devavrata) and circumambulated him in reverence. Then, united again, those kṣatriyas—driven on by Time and with eyes reddened by wrath—went forth once more for battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war, dharma expresses itself through discipline and reverence: the warriors secure their commander (Bhīṣma), seek his consent, and honor him with pradakṣiṇā—yet the narrative also underscores the tragic force of Kāla (Time/fate) and anger that propels combatants back into violence.
After arranging Bhīṣma’s protection and consulting among themselves, the Kaurava-side warriors obtain Bhīṣma’s approval, circumambulate him respectfully, and then return together to the battlefield, their eyes reddened with kṣatriya wrath and urged onward by the momentum of destiny.