Shloka 53
भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal
आरूबढैरयुद्धकुशलैरविमलप्रासयोधिभि: । वीरै: प्रहारिभिरययुक्ति: स्वैरनीकै: समावृत:
ārūḍhair yuddha-kuśalair vimala-prāsa-yodhibhiḥ | vīraiḥ prahāribhir ayuktaḥ svair anīkaiḥ samāvṛtaḥ ||
Ia dikepung oleh divisi-divisinya sendiri—para kesatria berkuda, mahir bertempur, piawai menggunakan prāsa yang bersih berkilau, serta para pahlawan yang sanggup melancarkan pukulan penentu. Dikelilingi pasukannya demikian, ia maju ke medan laga dengan niat membunuh Irāvān yang mahaperkasa.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily serves as battlefield narration rather than direct moral instruction; ethically, it highlights how intention (the resolve to kill a specific foe) and organized martial capability drive the momentum of war, underscoring the grave, purposeful nature of kṣatriya combat.
Sañjaya describes a warrior advancing into the fight, surrounded by his own mounted troops skilled with the prāsa weapon, moving with the explicit aim of killing the powerful Irāvān, and accompanied by two thousand surviving horses.