Shloka 1
Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
/ [दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठका इं श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ५४ ३ “लोक हैं।] न्च्स्स्त्सािस्सि ह्य ४2: «आर एकाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: अभिमन्युके द्वारा अलम्बुषकी पराजय
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | ārjuniṁ samare śūraṁ vini-ghnantaṁ mahārathān | alambuṣaḥ kathaṁ yuddhe pratyayudhyata sañjaya ||
Dhritarashtra said: “Sanjaya, how did the rakshasa Alambusha engage in battle against Abhimanyu—the heroic son of Arjuna—who on the battlefield was striking down great chariot-warriors? Tell me how Alambusha fought him in that war.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic’s ethical lens on warfare: valor is measured not merely by victory but by steadfast engagement in one’s duty (kṣatriya-dharma). Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s question also shows how the war’s moral and strategic significance is assessed through careful narration and accountability.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya to describe how Alambuṣa fought Abhimanyu, who is portrayed as a heroic warrior cutting down many great chariot-fighters. This introduces the episode focusing on Abhimanyu’s encounter with the rākṣasa Alambuṣa.