Shloka 78
भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal
तम्मिंस्तु विहते वीरे राक्षसेनार्जुनात्मजे । विशोका: समपद्यन्त धार्तराष्ट्रा: सराजका:,इस प्रकार राक्षसद्वारा अर्जुनके वीर पुत्र इरावानके मारे जानेपर राजा दुर्योधनसहित आपके सभी पुत्र शोकरहित हो गये
tammiṁstu vihate vīre rākṣasenārjunātmaje | viśokāḥ samapadyanta dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ sarājakāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: When that heroic son of Arjuna had been slain there by the Rākṣasa, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra—together with their king—became free from grief. The verse underscores the hardening of hearts in war: one side’s loss becomes the other side’s relief, revealing how conflict can invert ordinary human sympathy and deepen moral blindness.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war distorts ethical perception: the death of a noble warrior becomes a cause of relief for opponents. It cautions that victory-driven thinking can suppress compassion and deepen adharma by treating another’s suffering as one’s gain.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna’s heroic son (identified in the tradition as Irāvān) has been killed by a Rākṣasa fighter. Upon hearing/seeing this, the Kauravas (Dhārtarāṣṭras), along with their king Duryodhana, feel their sorrow lift and become heartened.