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Shloka 52

यदा न गम्यते पारं तयोरन्यतरस्य वा । ततः संकुलयुद्धेन तद्‌ युद्ध व्याकुलीकृतम्‌,जब द्रोणाचार्य और अर्जुनमेंसे कोई भी किसीको परास्त न कर सका, तब सामूहिक युद्धके द्वारा उस संग्रामको व्यापक बना दिया गया

yadā na gamyate pāraṃ tayor anyatarasya vā | tataḥ saṅkulayuddhena tad yuddhaṃ vyākulīkṛtam ||

Ketika Droṇācārya dan Arjuna—keduanya—tak seorang pun mampu mencapai ‘tepi seberang’, yakni menundukkan yang lain secara menentukan, maka pertempuran itu menjadi kacau dan meluas oleh perang campur-aduk yang melibatkan banyak pihak.

यदाwhen
यदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदा
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
गम्यतेis reached / is attained
गम्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootगम्
FormLat, Atmanepada, Karmani, Prathama, Eka
पारम्the far shore; the end/limit
पारम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपार
FormNapumsaka, Dvitiya, Eka
तयोःof the two (of them)
तयोः:
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormSarvalinga, Shashthi, Dvi
अन्यतरस्यof either one (of the two)
अन्यतरस्य:
TypePronoun
Rootअन्यतर
FormPum, Shashthi, Eka
वाor
वा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा
ततःthen; thereafter
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
संकुलयुद्धेनby a confused/mixed battle (general melee)
संकुलयुद्धेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootसंकुल-युद्ध
FormNapumsaka, Tritya, Eka
तत्that (battle)
तत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNapumsaka, Dvitiya, Eka
युद्धम्battle
युद्धम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootयुद्ध
FormNapumsaka, Dvitiya, Eka
व्याकुलीकृतम्made agitated/confused; thrown into turmoil
व्याकुलीकृतम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootव्याकुली-कृ
FormKta (past passive participle), Napumsaka, Prathama/Dvitiya, Eka

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
D
Droṇācārya
A
Arjuna

Educational Q&A

A duel between equals can fail to yield a decisive outcome; when that happens, the struggle often expands into a chaotic mass-conflict, increasing collateral harm and moral complexity. The verse implicitly warns how unresolved rivalry can destabilize the wider field of dharma in war.

Sañjaya reports that Droṇa and Arjuna could not defeat one another. Because neither gained a clear advantage, the fighting shifted into a confused, collective mêlée, making the battlefield more turbulent and widespread.