Shloka 8
अभिमन्योर् दारुणः संमर्दः
Abhimanyu’s fierce melee amid chariot formations
द्रुपदं पज्चभिस्ती3्ष्णै: सप्तभिश्न शिखण्डिनम् | केकयान् पज्चविंशत्या द्रौपदेयांस्त्रिभिस्त्रिभि:
drupadaṁ pañcabhiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥ saptabhiś ca śikhaṇḍinam | kekayān pañcaviṁśatyā draupadeyāṁs tribhis tribhiḥ ||
قال سنجيا: بخمسة سهامٍ حادّة أصاب دروبادا، وبسبعة أصاب شيخاندين. كما أصاب الكيكايا بخمسةٍ وعشرين سهمًا، وأبناء دروبادي بثلاثة سهام لكلّ واحد—مُظهرًا دقّة القتال المنهجيّة التي لا تعرف هوادة، حيث لا يُستثنى حليفٌ مشهور ولا وريثٌ فتيّ.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the impartial harshness of war: lineage, reputation, and alliance do not shield anyone once battle is joined. It implicitly invites reflection on kṣatriya-duty and the moral cost of conflict, where skill and resolve can become instruments of widespread suffering.
Sañjaya reports a sequence of precise strikes in the battle: Drupada is hit with five sharp arrows, Śikhaṇḍin with seven, the Kekaya contingent with twenty-five, and each of Draupadī’s sons with three arrows—depicting a warrior’s rapid, targeted assault on key Pāṇḍava allies.