Shloka 54
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
धृष्टय्युम्नं महारौद्रं तत्र नो5 भूदू रणो महान् । जितास्तेन वयं सर्वे व्यपयाम रणात् तत:,मैं उसी स्थानमें स्थित होकर युद्ध कर रहा था, जहाँ कृपाचार्य मौजूद थे; परंतु किरीटधारी अर्जुनके बाणोंसे पीड़ित होकर हम पाँचों वहाँसे भागकर महाभयंकर धष्टद्युम्नके पास जा पहुँचे। वहाँ उनके साथ हमलोगोंका बड़ा भारी युद्ध हुआ। उन्होंने हम सबको परास्त कर दिया। तब हम वहाँसे भी भाग निकले
dhṛṣṭadyumnaṁ mahāraudraṁ tatra no ’bhūd raṇo mahān | jitās tena vayaṁ sarve vyapāyāma raṇāt tataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “With the fiercely formidable Dhṛṣṭadyumna, a great battle then arose for us. He overcame all of us, and thereafter we withdrew from that fight.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh realism of dharma-yuddha: prowess and strategy can still end in defeat, and a tactical withdrawal may be necessary. It highlights accountability in war—victory and loss are both part of the warrior’s path, demanding steadiness rather than denial.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a fierce engagement occurred with Dhṛṣṭadyumna. Dhṛṣṭadyumna overpowered them all, and they retreated from that battlefield.