Shloka 78
तेषु श्रान्तेषु भग्नेषु मृदितेषु च भारत,भरतनन्दन! उस समय जब अधिकांश सैनिक परिश्रमसे चूर-चूर हो रहे थे, कितने ही भाग गये थे और बहुतेरे योद्धा रौंद डाले गये थे, रात हो गयी थी एवं हमें अपने सेवक नहीं दिखायी दे रहे थे, तब कौरवों और पाण्डवोंने अपनी-अपनी सेनाको युद्धभूमिसे लौटनेका आदेश दे दिया
teṣu śrānteṣu bhagneṣu mṛditeṣu ca bhārata | rātriḥ saṃjajñe na ca sma dṛśyāmahe sevakāḥ | tataḥ kauravapāṇḍavāḥ svāṃ svāṃ senāṃ raṇabhūmitaḥ pratyāhartum ājñāpayām āsuḥ ||
Wahai Bharata! Ketika pasukan itu telah letih, tercerai-berai, dan terinjak-injak, malam pun turun di sana; para pengiring kami tak lagi terlihat. Maka baik pihak Kaurawa maupun Pandawa memerintahkan bala tentaranya masing-masing untuk menarik diri dari medan perang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid total war, there are practical and ethical limits: when exhaustion, rout, and darkness prevail, leadership must prioritize restraint, recovery, and order over reckless pursuit. The verse highlights responsibility in command—knowing when to stop and regroup.
Sanjaya reports that many soldiers are exhausted, scattered, and crushed; night has fallen and attendants are no longer visible. In response, both sides—the Kauravas and the Pandavas—order their armies to withdraw from the battlefield.