हन्यमानं तथात्मानं परेभ्यो बहवो जनाः ॥
नाभ्यजानन्त समरे निद्रया मोहिता भृशम् ॥
तेषाम् एतादृशीं चेष्टां विज्ञाय पुरुषर्षभः ॥
उवाच वाक्यं बीभत्सुर् उच्चैः संनादयन् दिशः ॥
श्रान्ता भवन्तो निद्रान्धाः सर्व एव सवाहनाः ॥
तमसा चावृते सैन्ये रजसा बहुलेन च ॥
ते यूयं यदि मन्यध्वम् उपारमत सैनिकाः ॥
निमीलयत चात्रैव रणभूमौ मुहूर्तकम् ॥
hanyamānaṃ tathātmānaṃ parebhyo bahavo janāḥ ||
nābhyajānanta samare nidrayā mohitā bhṛśam ||
teṣām etādṛśīṃ ceṣṭāṃ vijñāya puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||
uvāca vākyaṃ bībhatsur uccaiḥ saṃnādayan diśaḥ ||
śrāntā bhavanto nidrāndhāḥ sarva eva savāhanāḥ ||
tamasā cāvṛte sainye rajasā bahulena ca ||
te yūyaṃ yadi manyadhvam upāramata sainikāḥ ||
nimīlayata cātraiva raṇabhūmau muhūrtakam ||
That he himself was being struck by the enemy — many men did not perceive this in battle, so greatly were they bewildered by sleep. Perceiving their condition, that bull among men, Bibhatsu [Arjuna], spoke, making the directions resound loudly: ‘You are weary, blinded by sleep, all of you, together with your mounts; and the army is shrouded in darkness and thick dust. If you agree, rest awhile, warriors, and close your eyes right here, on the field of battle, for a little while.’
c053de52ab34 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:58:11 PM UTC
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Seeing the ruinous madness brought on by sleep, Arjuna proclaims a respite — mercy in the midst of slaughter. It is significant that the call for rest comes from the greatest warrior, and is addressed not only to his own side but to all. The verse teaches that true valor is no stranger to compassion: the strongest is the first to acknowledge the limits of human strength and grants rest even to the enemy; and nobility shows itself not in unquenchable fury but in the ability to halt senseless suffering.