Shloka 40
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 103 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Gāndhārī Vivāha: Proposal, Consent, and the Vow
निवर्तमान त॑ दृष्टवा राजान: सर्व एव ते । प्रेक्षका: समपद्यन्त भीष्मशाल्वसमागमे,उन्हें लौटते देख सब राजा भीष्म और शाल्वके युद्धमें कुछ भाग न लेकर केवल दर्शक बन गये
nivartamānān dṛṣṭvā rājānaḥ sarva eva te | prekṣakāḥ samapadyanta bhīṣmaśālvasamāgame ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Al verlos volver, todos aquellos reyes se abstuvieron de tomar parte en el combate y se hicieron meros espectadores del encuentro entre Bhīṣma y Śālva. La escena subraya un instante de contención: en vez de avivar el conflicto uniéndose a la lucha, los soberanos reunidos optan por observar, dejando que el duelo prosiga sin una escalada colectiva.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights restraint in conflict: leaders may uphold order by not multiplying violence, allowing a contest to remain limited rather than turning into a wider war.
As some withdraw, the assembled kings do not intervene; they stand aside as spectators while the confrontation proceeds specifically between Bhīṣma and Śālva.