Shloka 523
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
भृशोपहतसंकल्पा न हृष्टमनसो5 भवन् । राजन्! जब भीमसेनकी ऐसी अवस्था हो गयी, उस समय सोमक और पाण्डव बहुत ही खिन्न और उदास हो गये। उनकी विजयकी आशा नष्ट हो गयी
bhṛśopahata-saṅkalpā na hṛṣṭa-manaso ’bhavan | rājan, yadā bhīmasenasya tathāvasthā babhūva, tadā somakāḥ pāṇḍavāś ca bhṛśaṁ khinnā udāsīnāś ca babhūvuḥ | teṣāṁ vijayāśā naṣṭā babhūva |
Sañjaya said: “O King, their resolve was grievously shaken and their hearts found no joy. When Bhīmasena fell into such a condition, the Somakas and the Pāṇḍavas became deeply dejected and despondent; their hope of victory was extinguished.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how quickly collective morale can collapse when a central protector or champion is incapacitated, reminding readers that resolve (saṅkalpa) is a decisive force in dharmic struggle and that inner steadiness is as crucial as physical strength.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that when Bhīma is brought into a weakened state, the allied Somakas and the Pāṇḍavas become deeply discouraged, and their confidence in winning the war fades.