Shloka 52
भीष्म-युधिष्ठिर-संमर्दः
Bhīṣma’s Pressure on Yudhiṣṭhira; Śikhaṇḍī’s Approach; Evening Withdrawal
दुष्कर्ण व्यथितं दृष्टया पठच राजन् महारथा:
duṣkarṇaṃ vyathitaṃ dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍavaḥ rājan mahārathāḥ
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, melihat Duṣkarṇa dalam kesakitan, para maharatha—pahlawan kereta perang agung—di pihak Pāṇḍava (beserta sekutu mereka) segera bertindak balas menurut keadaan.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata insight: in war, actions and their visible effects (fear, pain, distress) immediately shape further action. It implicitly points to the ethical weight of violence—suffering is not abstract but witnessed, and it drives decisions on the field.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duṣkarṇa is seen in a distressed state, and the great chariot-warriors—identified with the Pāṇḍava side in this line—respond in the ongoing Kurukṣetra battle sequence.