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 |
サンジャヤは言った。「すべての弓兵が見守る中、彼はその戦いを止め、戦場から退いた。ビーマセーナの意図を見抜いたカルナ――賢者の中の第一人者――は、集う弓兵たちの面前でその交戦から身を引いたのである。この一幕は、ダルマと名誉の重圧のもと、最強の戦士でさえ時に自制と戦術的退却を選ぶことを示している。」
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.