Shloka 196
Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
अभिमन्यु विनिर्भिद्य प्राविशन््त धरातलम् | उसके द्वारा छोड़े हुए यमदण्डके समान भयंकर एवं तीखे बाण अभिमन्युके शरीरको छेदकर धरतीमें समा गये
abhimanyuṁ vinirbhidya prāviśan dharātalam | tasya mukta iva yamadaṇḍa-sadṛśā bhayaṅkarāḥ tīkṣṇāś ca bāṇāḥ abhimanyor śarīraṁ chittvā pṛthivyāṁ samāgatāḥ |
Sañjaya sprach: Die Pfeile durchbohrten Abhimanyu und drangen in die Erde ein. Jene Schäfte—schrecklich und messerscharf, wie Yamas Stab, wenn er geschleudert wird—rissen Abhimanyus Leib auf und versanken im Boden; so trat die erbarmungslose Härte der Schlacht hervor und der tragische Preis, den ein junger Krieger in einem vom Adharma befleckten Krieg zu tragen hat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral gravity of violence in war: even when framed by kṣatriya duty, the spectacle of a young hero being pierced evokes reflection on dharma in combat, the limits of righteous warfare, and the tragic consequences when battle turns merciless.
Sañjaya describes arrows that pass through Abhimanyu’s body and plunge into the earth. The comparison to Yama’s rod intensifies the sense of fatal force, indicating that Abhimanyu is being struck with death-dealing weapons amid a fierce engagement.