Shloka 78
भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas
तेषु श्रान्तेषु भग्नेषु मृदितेषु च भारत
teṣu śrānteṣu bhagneṣu mṛditeṣu ca bhārata | rātriḥ saṃjajñe na ca sma dṛśyāmahe sevakāḥ | tataḥ kauravapāṇḍavāḥ svāṃ svāṃ senāṃ raṇabhūmitaḥ pratyāhartum ājñāpayām āsuḥ ||
三阇耶说道：当那些军队疲惫不堪、溃散破碎、又被践踏之时，噢，婆罗多啊，夜幕降临；我们也再看不见自己的随从侍者。于是，俱卢与般度两军各自下令，让本方军队从战场撤回。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid total war, there are practical and ethical limits: when exhaustion, rout, and darkness prevail, leadership must prioritize restraint, recovery, and order over reckless pursuit. The verse highlights responsibility in command—knowing when to stop and regroup.
Sanjaya reports that many soldiers are exhausted, scattered, and crushed; night has fallen and attendants are no longer visible. In response, both sides—the Kauravas and the Pandavas—order their armies to withdraw from the battlefield.