Mahabharata 7.43.18 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 43, Shloka 18
अभिमन्योर् दारुणः संमर्दः
Abhimanyu’s fierce melee amid chariot formations
सुभद्राकुमार अभिमन्युने पहले गजारोहियोंसहित बहुत-से गजराजोंको मारकर व्यूहमें प्रवेश करनेके लिये जो पाण्डवोंको मार्ग दिखा दिया था, उसे जयद्रथने बंद कर दिया ।।
yatamānās tu te vīrā matsya-pañcāla-kekayāḥ | pāṇḍavāś cānvapadyanta pratiṣekur na saindhavam ||
Sañjaya sprach: Abhimanyu, der Sohn Subhadrās, hatte zuvor viele Elefantenkönige samt ihren Treibern erschlagen und den Pāṇḍavas den Weg gezeigt, in das vyūha (die Schlachtordnung) einzudringen; doch Jayadratha verschloss diesen Zugang. Jene Tapferen—Matsyas, Pañcālas, Kekayas und die Pāṇḍavas—bemühten sich immer wieder, die Ordnung anzugreifen und voranzudringen; aber dem Sindhu-König (Jayadratha) gegenüber konnten sie weder standhalten noch einen Durchbruch erzwingen. Die Szene macht deutlich, wie ein einziger entschlossener Verteidiger an einem entscheidenden Engpass selbst gerechte Entschlossenheit vereiteln kann, wenn Strategie und Umstände sich dagegen wenden.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Persistent effort (prayatna) is essential, yet outcomes in dharmic conflict also depend on positioning, timing, and the opponent’s strategic advantage. The verse highlights the ethical tension of righteous intent meeting practical constraints: valor alone may not suffice without coordinated means.
The allied forces of the Pāṇḍavas—Matsyas, Pañcālas, and Kekayas—repeatedly attempt to break into the enemy formation, but Jayadratha, stationed as a key defender, successfully checks their advance and prevents them from pushing through.
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