Shloka 56
Rātri-yuddhe Droṇasya prahāraḥ — Bhīmasenasya dhārtarāṣṭra-śūrānām nigrahaḥ
Night Battle: Droṇa’s Assault and Bhīma’s Suppression of Dhārtarāṣṭra Warriors
एवं बहुविध॑ तस्य राज्ञश्निन्तयतस्तदा । कृपयाभिपरीतस्य घोर युद्धमवर्तत,इस प्रकार राजा युधिष्ठिर जब दयासे द्रवित होकर भाँति-भाँतिकी बातें सोच रहे थे, उस समय दूसरी ओर घोर युद्ध हो रहा था
evaṁ bahuvidhaṁ tasya rājñaś cintayatas tadā | kṛpayābhiparītasya ghoraṁ yuddham avartata ||
Sañjaya said: While that king was then turning over many thoughts in his mind—his heart overcome by compassion—on the other side a dreadful battle continued to rage. The verse juxtaposes inner moral tenderness with the relentless momentum of war, highlighting how compassion persists even amid the demands of kṣatriya conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the tension between compassion and the harsh necessities of war: a righteous king may be softened by mercy and moral reflection, yet the machinery of conflict can continue unabated. It points to the ethical burden borne by leaders who must think beyond victory to the human cost.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira is absorbed in many anxious reflections, moved by compassion, while elsewhere the battle remains fierce and ongoing—setting a contrast between the king’s inner state and the external violence of the battlefield.