Shloka 84
भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal
मुक्तकेशा विकवचा विरथाश्कछिन्नकार्मुका: । बाहुभि: समयुध्यन्त समवेता: परस्परम्,कवच, रथ और धनुषके नष्ट हो जानेपर बाल बिखेरे हुए बहुतेरे योद्धा परस्पर भिड़कर भुजाओंद्वारा मल्लयुद्ध करने लगे
muktakeśā vikavacā virathāś chinnakārmukāḥ | bāhubhiḥ samayudhyanta samavetāḥ parasparam ||
Ketika rambut terurai, zirah terlepas, kereta perang hilang, dan busur patah, banyak prajurit saling mendekat dan bertarung jarak dekat, bergulat hanya dengan kekuatan lengan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dehumanizing escalation of war: when weapons, armour, and chariots are lost, combat persists through sheer bodily force. It implicitly warns that once violence is unleashed, it tends to continue beyond controlled forms, testing dharmic restraint and exposing human fragility.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where numerous fighters, having lost armour, chariots, and bows, rush together and begin wrestling and striking with their arms—close-quarters combat amid the press of troops.