Shloka 84
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
हस्तिनां व्रजमासाद्य रथदुर्ग प्रविश्य च । पाण्डवो जीविताकाड्क्षी राधेयं नाभ्यहारयत्
hastināṁ vrajam āsādya rathadurgaṁ praviśya ca | pāṇḍavo jīvitākāṅkṣī rādheyaṁ nābhyahārayat ||
हस्तिनां व्रजमासाद्य रथदुर्गं प्रविश्य च । पाण्डवो जीविताकाङ्क्षी राधेयं नाभ्यहारयत् ॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a dharma-framed war, actions are shaped by immediate constraints—fear, survival, and tactical calculation. The verse highlights restraint and the complex ethics of combat, where a decisive strike may be withheld due to vulnerability or strategic necessity.
Sañjaya reports that a Pāṇḍava warrior reaches the elephants and penetrates a fortified chariot-formation, yet—seeking to preserve his own life—does not attack or finish off Rādheya (Karna) at that moment.