Shloka 23
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
पराक्रान्तस्य तस्यैव भीष्मो5पि प्राहिणोच्छरान् | सतांश्रिच्छेद समरे भीष्मचापच्युतान् शरान्
parākrāntasya tasyaiva bhīṣmo 'pi prāhiṇoc charān | satāṁśriccheda samare bhīṣmacāpacyutān śarān |
Sañjaya said: Even Bhīṣma, seeing that warrior’s prowess, discharged his arrows at him. But in the thick of battle, Abhimanyu cut down every arrow that had flown from Bhīṣma’s bow—displaying not only martial mastery but the steadfast resolve expected of a kṣatriya amid the demands of righteous war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: steadfastness and disciplined skill in battle. Even when faced with a revered elder-warrior like Bhīṣma, the younger hero meets force with controlled mastery, suggesting that duty in a righteous conflict demands courage without panic and competence without cruelty.
Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma shooting arrows at a mighty warrior; Abhimanyu responds by cutting down the incoming arrows in mid-battle, neutralizing Bhīṣma’s attack and demonstrating exceptional prowess.