Shloka 51
Rātri-yuddhe Droṇasya prahāraḥ — Bhīmasenasya dhārtarāṣṭra-śūrānām nigrahaḥ
Night Battle: Droṇa’s Assault and Bhīma’s Suppression of Dhārtarāṣṭra Warriors
अनस्तमित आदित्ये समेष्याम्यहमर्जुनम् । “जिसने पुत्रशोकसे संतप्त हो दुष्कर कर्म करनेकी इच्छा रखकर जयद्रथके वधकी अभिलाषासे भारी प्रतिज्ञा कर ली है, वह अर्जुन क्या आज युद्धमें सिंधुराजको मार डालेगा? क्या सूर्यास्त होनेसे पहले ही प्रतिज्ञा पूर्ण करके लौटे हुए, भगवान् श्रीकृष्णद्वारा सुरक्षित अर्जुनसे मैं मिल सकूँगा? ।। ४९-५० $ ।। कच्चित् सैन्धवको राजा दुर्योधनहिते रत:
anastamite āditye sameṣyāmy aham arjunam |
Sañjaya said: “When the sun has not yet set, I shall meet Arjuna. Will Arjuna—burning with grief for his son and having undertaken a formidable vow out of the desire to slay Jayadratha—indeed kill the king of Sindhu today in battle? Will I be able to meet Arjuna, protected by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, after he has fulfilled his pledge before sunset and returned?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of a warrior’s vow and the tension between human resolve and uncertainty in war, while also emphasizing reliance on divine protection (Kṛṣṇa) as Arjuna strives to fulfill a pledge made under intense grief.
Sañjaya voices anxious anticipation about whether Arjuna will succeed in killing Jayadratha (the Sindhu king) before sunset, thereby completing his difficult vow, and whether Sañjaya will then be able to meet Arjuna who is under Kṛṣṇa’s protection.