Shloka 12
अभिमन्यु–अलम्बुसयुद्धम् / The Duel of Abhimanyu and Alambusa
with Arjuna’s approach to Bhīṣma
तदाचार्यवच: श्रुत्वा सौमदत्तिपुरोगमा:
tadācāryavacaḥ śrutvā saumadattipurogamāḥ
Sañjaya sprach: Als sie die Worte ihres Lehrmeisters vernahmen, handelten die Krieger—angeführt an der Spitze vom Sohn Somadattas—gemäß dem Befehl, in strenger Zucht.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and practical importance of heeding a qualified leader’s instruction—especially in a collective endeavor like war—where disciplined listening and coordinated response are treated as aspects of one’s duty.
Sañjaya reports that, after the preceptor (ācārya) speaks, the warriors listen and move forward under the lead of Saumadatti, indicating the army’s readiness to act on the commander’s directive.