Shloka 1096
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
विरराम रणात् तस्मात् पश्यतां सर्वधन्विनाम् । भीमसेनका यह अभिप्राय जानकर बुद्धिमानोंमें श्रेष्ठ कर्ण समस्त धनुर्धरोंके सामने ही उस युद्धसे हट गया
virarāma raṇāt tasmāt paśyatāṁ sarva-dhanvinām |
Sañjaya said: In full view of all the bowmen, he ceased from that combat and withdrew from the battlefield. Perceiving Bhīmasena’s intent, Karṇa—foremost among the wise—stepped back from the fight before the assembled archers, a moment that underscores how even the mightiest warriors sometimes choose restraint and tactical withdrawal amid the pressures of dharma and reputation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where discernment and restraint can be as significant as valor: a warrior may withdraw when the situation, intention of the opponent, or larger strategic and dharmic considerations demand it, even under public scrutiny.
Sañjaya reports that, as all the archers watched, the combatant (contextually Karṇa) stopped fighting and withdrew from that battle after understanding Bhīma’s intention, marking a visible shift in the encounter’s momentum.