Shloka 33
Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
स तेषां रथिनां वीर: पितुस्तुल्यपराक्रम: । सदृशो वासुदेवस्य विक्रमेण बलेन च
sa teṣāṁ rathināṁ vīraḥ pitus-tulya-parākramaḥ | sadṛśo vāsudevasya vikrameṇa balena ca ||
Sañjaya said: Among those chariot-warriors, that hero (Abhimanyu) possessed prowess equal to his father’s. In daring and in strength he was comparable to Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa). Thus, on the battlefield he performed many valorous deeds against the Kaurava chariot-fighters, displaying a heroism worthy of both his father and his maternal uncle—an image of inherited duty and disciplined courage amid war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma expressed as disciplined courage: Abhimanyu embodies inherited responsibility and trained excellence, showing that true valor is measured not only by force but by steadfast performance of duty in a righteous cause.
Sañjaya describes Abhimanyu’s battlefield performance, praising him as equal to his father Arjuna in prowess and comparable to Kṛṣṇa in daring and strength, as he confronts the Kaurava chariot-warriors with remarkable heroism.