Shloka 52
Śalya’s Objection to Sārathya and Duryodhana’s Conciliation (शल्यमन्यु-प्रशमनम् / Sārathyāṅgīkāra)
विसृष्ट: पाण्डवो राजन सूतपुत्रेण धन्विना । व्रीडन्निव जगामाथ युधिष्ठिररथं प्रति,नरेश्वर! धनुर्थर सूतपुत्रके छोड़ देनेपर पाण्डुकुमार नकुल लजाते हुए-से वहाँसे युधिष्ठिरके रथके पास चले गये
visṛṣṭaḥ pāṇḍavo rājan sūtaputreṇa dhanvinā | vrīḍann iva jagāmātha yudhiṣṭhirarathaṃ prati, nareśvara ||
Sañjaya said: O King, when the Pāṇḍava (Nakula) was released—spared—by the charioteer’s son, the bowman Karṇa, he went, as if ashamed, toward Yudhiṣṭhira’s chariot. To be let go by an enemy in the midst of battle bites at honor, and his turn toward his elder brother suggests both retreat and a search for protection and counsel under the pressure of dharma and reputation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical psychology of warfare in the Mahābhārata: being spared by an enemy can feel dishonoring, and a warrior may experience shame not merely from defeat but from perceived loss of agency and prestige. It also underscores the role of the elder/king (Yudhiṣṭhira) as a moral and strategic refuge for his brothers.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pandava warrior (understood as Nakula in this episode) is released by Karṇa and then moves away from the immediate clash, heading toward Yudhiṣṭhira’s chariot, appearing embarrassed—suggesting a withdrawal after being outmatched or spared.