Shloka 55

Rātri-yuddhe Droṇasya prahāraḥ — Bhīmasenasya dhārtarāṣṭra-śūrānām nigrahaḥ

Night Battle: Droṇa’s Assault and Bhīma’s Suppression of Dhārtarāṣṭra Warriors

Devanagari script

'अन्यान्य बड़े-बड़े योद्धाओंको भी धराशायी किये गये देखकर क्‍या मन्दबुद्धि दुर्योधनको पश्चात्ताप होगा? ।। कच्चिद्‌ भीष्मेण नो वैरं शममेकेन यास्यति । शेषस्य रक्षणार्थ च संधास्यति सुयोधन:,“क्या एकमात्र भीष्मकी मृत्युसे हमलोगोंका वैर शान्त हो जायगा? क्या शेष वीरोंकी रक्षाके लिये दुर्योधन हमारे साथ संधि कर लेगा?”

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | kaccid bhīṣmeṇa no vairaṃ śamam ekena yāsyati | śeṣasya rakṣaṇārthaṃ ca sandhāsyati suyodhanaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Will our enmity truly be brought to rest by the fall of Bhīṣma alone? And will Suyodhana (Duryodhana), for the sake of protecting those who remain, enter into a treaty with us?”

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sañjaya said', 'kaccit': 'whether indeed?

• can it be that…?', 'bhīṣmeṇa': 'by/with Bhīṣma

• on account of Bhīṣma (instrumental)', 'naḥ': 'our', 'vairaṃ': 'enmity, feud', 'śamam': 'pacification, cessation, quieting', 'ekena': 'by one alone

• by a single (person/event)', 'yāsyati': 'will go to

• will attain', 'śeṣasya': 'of what remains

• of the survivors', 'rakṣaṇārtham': 'for the purpose of protection', 'ca': 'and', 'sandhāsyati': 'will make peace

• will form an alliance/treaty', 'suyodhanaḥ': 'Suyodhana, i.e., Duryodhana'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Suyodhana (Duryodhana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral and political insight that deep-rooted enmity is rarely extinguished by a single death or victory; true pacification requires a deliberate turning toward reconciliation (sandhi) and protection of the living, not merely the elimination of one great opponent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reflects on the war’s momentum and asks Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implicitly) whether the Kaurava hostility will end merely with Bhīṣma’s fall, and whether Duryodhana might now choose a treaty to safeguard the remaining warriors—raising doubt about Duryodhana’s willingness to abandon the feud.