Shloka 18
भीष्मवधाय प्रयाणम् — The Advance toward Bhīṣma and Counter-Engagements
अथाभिमन्युं समरे भीमसेनेन संगतम् । पार्षतेन च सम्प्रेक्ष्य तव सैन्ये महारथा:
athābhimanyuṃ samare bhīmasenena saṅgatam | pārṣatena ca samprekṣya tava sainye mahārathāḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: Dann, als man auf dem Schlachtfeld Abhimanyu sah, wie er gemeinsam mit Bhīmasena und Pārṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna) kämpfte, stürmten die großen Wagenkämpfer deines Heeres, den Bogen in der Hand, in höchster Eile zu dem Ort, wo die Helden der Pāṇḍava-Seite standen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring ethical tension in the Mahābhārata: martial duty (kṣatriya-dharma) demands swift response to battlefield developments, yet such responses also intensify violence. It shows how alliances and perceived threats drive collective action, reminding readers that war amplifies both courage and the momentum of retaliation.
Sañjaya reports that Kaurava-side elite warriors, noticing Abhimanyu engaged alongside Bhīma and Dhṛṣṭadyumna, surge forward with bows ready, converging on the location where the Pāṇḍava champions are positioned—signaling an imminent clash of leading fighters.