Shloka 52
यदा न गम्यते पारं तयोरन्यतरस्य वा । ततः संकुलयुद्धेन तद् युद्ध व्याकुलीकृतम्,जब द्रोणाचार्य और अर्जुनमेंसे कोई भी किसीको परास्त न कर सका, तब सामूहिक युद्धके द्वारा उस संग्रामको व्यापक बना दिया गया
yadā na gamyate pāraṃ tayor anyatarasya vā | tataḥ saṅkulayuddhena tad yuddhaṃ vyākulīkṛtam ||
Sañjaya said: When neither of the two—Droṇācārya or Arjuna—could reach the far shore, that is, could decisively overcome the other, then the battle was thrown into confusion and made more widespread through a tangled, collective engagement.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
A duel between equals can fail to yield a decisive outcome; when that happens, the struggle often expands into a chaotic mass-conflict, increasing collateral harm and moral complexity. The verse implicitly warns how unresolved rivalry can destabilize the wider field of dharma in war.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa and Arjuna could not defeat one another. Because neither gained a clear advantage, the fighting shifted into a confused, collective mêlée, making the battlefield more turbulent and widespread.