Shloka 16
भीष्मवधाय प्रयाणम् — The Advance toward Bhīṣma and Counter-Engagements
महाहवे दीप्यमानान् सुवर्णमुकुटोज्ज्वलान् | तत्यजु: समरे भीम॑ तव पुत्रा महाबला:,वे सब-के-सब रथपर बैठे हुए शूरवीर, सूर्य और अग्निके समान तेजस्वी, महाधनुर्धर, उत्तम शोभासे प्रकाशमान, सुवर्णमय मुकुटसे जगमग प्रतीत होनेवाले और अत्यन्त कान्तिमान् थे। उस महासमरमें उन्हें आते देखकर आपके महाबली पुत्र भीमसेनको छोड़कर वहाँसे दूर हट गये
mahāhave dīpyamānān suvarṇamukuṭojjvalān | tatyajuḥ samare bhīma tava putrā mahābalāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In that great battle, those warriors blazed with splendour, their golden crowns shining. Seeing them advance in the thick of combat, your mighty sons, O Bhīma (Dhṛtarāṣṭra), abandoned the fight and fell back from the field. The moment underscores how fear and attachment to self-preservation can eclipse kṣatriya-duty when confronted by overwhelming prowess.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the powerful may falter when confronted by superior force; in the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, retreat born of fear contrasts with the ideal of steadfast kṣatriya-dharma—courage, resolve, and responsibility in battle.
Sañjaya describes radiant, crown-adorned warriors advancing in the great fight; on seeing them, Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons lose heart and withdraw from the battlefield, abandoning the engagement.