Shloka 50
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
ततस्तत् पुनरावृत्तं युधिष्ठिरबलं महत् | दृष्टवा पार्थ महाबाहुं भीष्मायोद्यतमाहवे,उस समय महाबाहु अर्जुनको समरभूमिमें भीष्मसे लोहा लेनेके लिये उद्यत देख युधिष्ठिरकी वह विशाल सेना पुनः: लौट आयी
tatas tat punarāvṛttaṃ yudhiṣṭhirabalaṃ mahat | dṛṣṭvā pārtha mahābāhuṃ bhīṣmāyodyatam āhave ||
Sañjaya said: Then the great host of Yudhiṣṭhira turned back again, for they saw mighty-armed Pārtha (Arjuna) standing ready on the battlefield to engage Bhīṣma in combat. The moment signals a moral and strategic pivot: the army’s movement is shaped not merely by force, but by the recognition of rightful leadership and the grave duty of confronting an elder who nevertheless stands as the foremost obstacle to dharma’s restoration.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, action is guided by dharma and rightful responsibility: the army’s resolve depends on recognizing who must face the central moral and strategic challenge—Arjuna confronting Bhīṣma—showing that duty and leadership shape collective conduct.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira’s large force, which had moved away, turns back again upon seeing Arjuna ready to fight Bhīṣma on the battlefield, indicating a renewed advance once Arjuna takes up the decisive engagement.