Shloka 53
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
अथ कृष्णो महाबाहुरर्जुनं प्रत्यभाषत । पश्य वृष्ण्यन्धकव्याप्र॑ं सौमदत्तिवशं गतम्,तब महाबाहु श्रीकृष्णने अर्जुनसे कहा--'पार्थ! देखो, वृष्णि और अंधकवंशका वह श्रेष्ठ वीर भूरिश्रवाके वशमें हो गया है
atha kṛṣṇo mahābāhur arjunaṃ pratyabhāṣata | paśya vṛṣṇyandhakavyāghraṃ saumadattivaśaṃ gatam ||
Sañjaya said: Then mighty-armed Kṛṣṇa addressed Arjuna, saying, “Look, Pārtha—see that tiger among the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas now fallen under the power of Saumadatti.” The remark draws Arjuna’s attention to a sudden reversal on the battlefield, where a renowned warrior is brought under an opponent’s control, raising urgent questions of duty, restraint, and the ethics of intervention amid chaos.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral pressure of war: when a celebrated warrior is overpowered, leaders must quickly discern what dharma requires—whether to intervene, how to balance compassion with rules of combat, and how to act without losing ethical clarity amid battlefield confusion.
Sañjaya reports that Kṛṣṇa points out to Arjuna that a foremost hero of the Vṛṣṇi–Andhaka line has come under Saumadatti’s control. It is a tactical and moral alert, directing Arjuna’s attention to a critical moment involving Bhūriśravas and the fate of a prominent allied warrior.