Shloka 5
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
(कथं जयेम भीष्मं वै महाबलपराक्रमम् । बुद्धि स्वशिबिरं गन्तुं चक्रे राजा युधिष्ठिर: ।।) महान् बल और पराक्रमसे सम्पन्न भीष्मको हम किस प्रकार जीत सकेंगे, यही सोचते हुए राजा युधिष्ठिरने अपने शिविरमें जानेका विचार किया। ततो&वहारं सैन्यानां चक्रे राजा युधिष्ठिर: । तथैव तव सैन्यानामवहारो हाभूत् तदा,इसके बाद महाराज युधिष्ठिरने अपनी सेनाको पीछे लौटा लिया। इसी प्रकार आपकी सेना भी उस समय युद्धस्थलसे शिविरकी ओर लौट चली
sañjaya uvāca | kathaṃ jayema bhīṣmaṃ vai mahābala-parākramam | buddhiṃ svaśibiraṃ gantuṃ cakre rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ || tato ’vahāraṃ sainyānāṃ cakre rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | tathaiva tava sainyānām avahāro ’bhūt tadā ||
Sañjaya said: “How can we possibly defeat Bhīṣma, possessed of immense strength and heroic prowess?” Thinking thus, King Yudhiṣṭhira resolved to withdraw to his own camp. Thereupon King Yudhiṣṭhira ordered his forces to fall back; and at that same time, your army too began to withdraw from the battlefield toward its camp.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a righteous cause, a leader must realistically assess strength, morale, and the ethical weight of fighting revered elders like Bhīṣma; strategic withdrawal can be a dharmic choice when it prevents futile loss and allows time for clearer counsel.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira, troubled by the question of how to overcome the mighty Bhīṣma, decides to return to camp and orders a withdrawal; seeing this, the Kaurava forces also pull back toward their camp.