Shloka 25

Devanagari script

वज़मृत्युप्रतीकाशैर्विचित्रायुधनि:सृतै: । अमृष्यमाणास्ते सर्वे सौभद्रंं रथसत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

vajamṛtyupratīkāśair vicitrāyudhaniḥsṛtaiḥ | amṛṣyamāṇās te sarve saubhadraṃ rathasattamam ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Unable to endure him, all those warriors assailed Saubhadra—the foremost of charioteers—by releasing a shower of varied weapons, gleaming like thunderbolts and seeming like death itself.

Word by Word

• वज्रमृत्युप्रतीकाशैः: with (weapons) resembling thunderbolt and death
• वज्रमृत्युप्रतीकाशैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-मृत्यु-प्रतीक
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• विचित्रायुध: in/among varied weapons
• विचित्रायुध: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र-आयुध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• निःसृतैः: shot forth, discharged
• निःसृतैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःसृत
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अमृष्यमाणाः: unable to endure, intolerant
• अमृष्यमाणाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृष्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सौभद्रम्: the son of Subhadrā (Abhimanyu)
• सौभद्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभद्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रथसत्तमम्: the best of chariot-warriors
• रथसत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ-सत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Saubhadra (Abhimanyu)
• weapons (āyudha)
• chariot-warrior (rathasattama)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how intolerance of excellence (amṛṣyamāṇāḥ) can lead to collective escalation in violence. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical lens, war tests character: resentment and envy can eclipse restraint, pushing warriors toward ever more lethal means.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a moment in battle where many fighters, unable to bear Saubhadra’s prowess, discharge a variety of deadly weapons at him—so fearsome they seem like death itself—marking an intense, concentrated assault on Abhimanyu.