Shloka 47
अभिमन्यु–अलम्बुसयुद्धम् / The Duel of Abhimanyu and Alambusa
with Arjuna’s approach to Bhīṣma
युध्यध्वं मा पलायध्वं मायैषा राक्षसी रणे | घटोत्कचप्रमुक्तेति नातिष्ठन्त विमोहिता:
yudhyadhvaṁ mā palāyadhvaṁ māyaiṣā rākṣasī raṇe | ghaṭotkaca-pramukteti nātiṣṭhanta vimohitāḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: „Kämpft — flieht nicht! Was ihr auf diesem Schlachtfeld seht, ist eine rākṣasa-hafte Maya, von Ghaṭotkaca ausgesandt.“ Doch verwirrt und des klaren Urteils beraubt konnten sie nicht standhalten.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear and delusion (moha) can collapse resolve in crisis. Ethical steadiness in battle—holding one’s duty and discernment—requires seeing through deceptive appearances and not abandoning one’s post out of panic.
Amid the chaos of battle, a terrifying illusion is perceived as a real threat. Sanjaya reports that the leaders urge the troops not to flee, explaining that it is a demonic illusion released by Ghaṭotkaca; nevertheless, the soldiers, mentally overwhelmed, fail to stand firm.