Shloka 54
Adhyāya 55: Pārtha–Rādheya Saṃvāda and Tactical Exchange
Chapter 55
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत विराटपर्वके अन्तर्गत गोहरणपर्वमें उत्तरगोग्रहके समय कर्णका युद्ध पलायनविषयक चौवनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti prakāraṃ śrīmahābhārate virāṭaparvaṇi antar-gata-goharaṇaparvaṇi uttaragograha-samaye karṇasya yuddha-palāyana-viṣayakaś catuḥpañcāśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ samāptaḥ | yastu nīlānusāreṇa pañcatāreṇa ketunā | hastāvāpī bṛhaddhanvā rathe tiṣṭhati vīryavān |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus ends the fifty-fourth chapter of the Goharaṇa episode within the Virāṭa Parva, describing Karṇa’s retreat from battle at the time of the cattle-seizure involving Uttara. Now, that mighty warrior who stands upon his chariot—marked by a blue banner bearing the sign of five stars—wearing hand-guards, wielding a great bow, and shining with a standard adorned with celestial emblems, a bright white parasol above his head, and golden armor and helmet radiant like the sun and moon—this is Bhīṣma, the foremost of chariot-warriors, the grandsire of all, son of Śāntanu. Yet, though endowed with royal splendor, he remains under Duryodhana’s command; therefore he weighs upon the mind with sorrow, raising an ethical tension between personal virtue and allegiance to an unrighteous cause.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical strain when a virtuous, illustrious elder (Bhīṣma) remains bound by allegiance and political obligation to a flawed ruler (Duryodhana). It invites reflection on dharma: whether duty to a throne or vow can justify serving an unrighteous cause, and how such service can become a source of sorrow even when performed with discipline and honor.
This is a chapter-colophon and transition: it closes the chapter describing Karṇa’s retreat during the cattle-raid conflict involving Uttara, then begins a vivid identification of the mighty chariot-warrior—Bhīṣma—describing his banner, weapons, and regal insignia, and commenting on the poignancy that he fights under Duryodhana’s command.