लब्ध्वा तु संज्ञां च कुरुप्रवीरः; पार्थं समीक्ष्याथ महेन्द्रकल्पम् ॥
रणाद् विमुक्तं स्थितम् एकम् आजौ; स धार्तराष्ट्रस् त्वरितो बभाषे ॥
अयं कथं स्विद् भवतां विमुक्तस्; तं वै प्रबध्नीत यथा न मुच्येत् ॥
तम् अब्रवीच् छांतनवः प्रहस्य; क्व ते गता बुद्धिर् अभूत् क्व वीर्यम् ॥
शान्तिं पराश्वस्य यथा स्थितो ऽभूर्; उत्सृज्य बाणांश् च धनुश् च चित्रम् ॥
न त्व् एव बीभत्सुर् अलं नृशंसं; कर्तुं न पापे ऽस्य मनो निविष्टम् ॥
त्रैलोक्यहेतोर् न जहेत् स्वधर्मं; तस्मान् न सर्वे निहता रणे ऽस्मिन् ॥
क्षिप्रं कुरून् याहि कुरुप्रवीर; विजित्य गाश् च प्रतियातु पार्थः ॥
दुर्योधनस् तस्य तु तन् निशम्य; पितामहस्यात्महितं वचो ऽथ ॥
अतीतकामो युधि सो ऽत्यमर्षी; राजा विनिःश्वस्य बभूव तूष्णीम् ॥
तद् भीष्मवाक्यं हितम् ईक्ष्य सर्वे; धनंजयाग्निं च विवर्धमानम् ॥
निवर्तनायैव मनो निदध्युर्; दुर्योधनं ते परिरक्षमाणाः ॥
तान् प्रस्थितान् प्रीतमनाः स पार्थो; धनंजयः प्रेक्ष्य कुरुप्रवीरान् ॥
आभाषमाणो ऽनुययौ मुहूर्तं; संपूजयंस् तत्र गुरून् महात्मा ॥
पितामहं शांतनवं स वृद्धं; द्रोणं गुरुं च प्रतिपूज्य मूर्ध्ना ॥
द्रौणिं कृपं चैव गुरूंश् च सर्वाञ्; शरैर् विचित्रैर् अभिवाद्य चैव ॥
दुर्योधनस्योत्तमरत्नचित्रं; चिच्छेद पार्थो मुकुटं शरेण ॥
आमन्त्र्य वीरांश् च तथैव मान्यान्; गाण्डीवघोषेण विनाद्य लोकान् ॥
स देवदत्तं सहसा विनाद्य; विदार्य वीरो द्विषतां मनांसि ॥
ध्वजेन सर्वान् अभिभूय शत्रून्; स हेमजालेन विराजमानः ॥
दृष्ट्वा प्रयातांस् तु कुरून् किरीटी; हृष्टो ऽब्रवीत् तत्र स मत्स्यपुत्रम् ॥
आवर्तयाश्वान् पशवो जितास् ते; याताः परे याहि पुरं प्रहृष्टः ॥
labdhvā tu saṃjñāṃ ca kurupravīraḥ; pārthaṃ samīkṣyātha mahendrakalpam ||
raṇād vimuktaṃ sthitam ekam ājau; sa dhārtarāṣṭras tvarito babhāṣe ||
ayaṃ kathaṃ svid bhavatāṃ vimuktas; taṃ vai prabadhnīta yathā na mucyet ||
tam abravīc chāṃtanavaḥ prahasya; kva te gatā buddhir abhūt kva vīryam ||
śāntiṃ parāśvasya yathā sthito 'bhūr; utsṛjya bāṇāṃś ca dhanuś ca citram ||
na tv eva bībhatsur alaṃ nṛśaṃsaṃ; kartuṃ na pāpe 'sya mano niviṣṭam ||
trailokyahetor na jahet svadharmaṃ; tasmān na sarve nihatā raṇe 'smin ||
kṣipraṃ kurūn yāhi kurupravīra; vijitya gāś ca pratiyātu pārthaḥ ||
duryodhanas tasya tu tan niśamya; pitāmahasyātmahitaṃ vaco 'tha ||
atītakāmo yudhi so 'tyamarṣī; rājā viniḥśvasya babhūva tūṣṇīm ||
tad bhīṣmavākyaṃ hitam īkṣya sarve; dhanaṃjayāgniṃ ca vivardhamānam ||
nivartanāyaiva mano nidadhyur; duryodhanaṃ te parirakṣamāṇāḥ ||
tān prasthitān prītamanāḥ sa pārtho; dhanaṃjayaḥ prekṣya kurupravīrān ||
ābhāṣamāṇo 'nuyayau muhūrtaṃ; saṃpūjayaṃs tatra gurūn mahātmā ||
pitāmahaṃ śāṃtanavaṃ sa vṛddhaṃ; droṇaṃ guruṃ ca pratipūjya mūrdhnā ||
drauṇiṃ kṛpaṃ caiva gurūṃś ca sarvāñ; śarair vicitrair abhivādya caiva ||
duryodhanasyottamaratnacitraṃ; ciccheda pārtho mukuṭaṃ śareṇa ||
āmantrya vīrāṃś ca tathaiva mānyān; gāṇḍīvaghoṣeṇa vinādya lokān ||
sa devadattaṃ sahasā vinādya; vidārya vīro dviṣatāṃ manāṃsi ||
dhvajena sarvān abhibhūya śatrūn; sa hemajālena virājamānaḥ ||
dṛṣṭvā prayātāṃs tu kurūn kirīṭī; hṛṣṭo 'bravīt tatra sa matsyaputram ||
āvartayāśvān paśavo jitās te; yātāḥ pare yāhi puraṃ prahṛṣṭaḥ ||
When the foremost of the Kurus came to his senses and saw Partha, like great Indra himself, standing alone, free of the fight, the son of Dhritarashtra spoke hastily: "How was he let go by you? Bind him so that he cannot escape." Laughing, the son of Shantanu answered him: "Where had your wits gone, and where your valor, when you stood there subdued, casting down your arrows and your splendid bow? Bibhatsu is incapable of cruelty; his mind is not set on sin. Even for the sake of the three worlds he would not abandon his own dharma -- that is why not all of you were slain in this battle. Go quickly to the Kurus, foremost of the Kurus; and let Partha return, having won the cattle." Duryodhana, hearing his grandfather's word, meant for his own good, having failed of his desire in battle yet still full of resentment, the king sighed and fell silent. Seeing that salutary word of Bhishma, and Dhananjaya's blazing wrath still growing, all of them set their minds only on retreat, guarding Duryodhana as they went. Partha, Dhananjaya, glad at heart, watched the departing heroes of the Kuru; for a moment, the great-souled one followed after them, speaking to them and honoring the elders there. He bowed his head to his aged grandfather the son of Shantanu and to the teacher Drona, and saluted Drauni, Kripa, and all the elders with wondrous arrows. Then Partha, with an arrow, sheared off Duryodhana's splendid jeweled crown; and having hailed the heroes and the honorable, he made the worlds resound with the twang of the Gandiva. Sounding the Devadatta suddenly, and rending the hearts of his foes, that hero, shining with his golden-netted banner, having overwhelmed all his enemies, and seeing the Kurus withdrawn, the diademed one joyfully said to the son of Matsya there: "Turn the horses round. The cattle are won, the enemy has gone; go gladly now into the city."
3b88cffff7e7 · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:42:56 PM UTC
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Bhishma names plainly the reason for their deliverance: not Arjuna's weakness, but his fidelity to dharma. This mercy humbles Duryodhana more sharply than death would have.