Shloka 29

भीष्म-युधिष्ठिर-संमर्दः

Bhīṣma’s Pressure on Yudhiṣṭhira; Śikhaṇḍī’s Approach; Evening Withdrawal

Devanagari script

स तैर्विकर्णस्य रथात्‌ पातयामास वीर्यवान्‌ | ध्वजं सूतं हयांश्वैव नृत्यमान इवाहवे,भारत! तदनन्तर रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ पराक्रमी अभिमन्युने विकर्णके ऊपर सर्पके समान आकारवाले चौदह भयंकर भल्ल चलाये और उनके द्वारा विकर्णके रथसे ध्वज, सारथि और घोड़ोंकोी मार गिराया। उस समय वह युद्धमें नृत्य-यसा कर रहा था

Transliteration

sa tair vikarṇasya rathāt pātayāmāsa vīryavān | dhvajaṃ sūtaṃ hayāṃś caiva nṛtyamāna ivāhave bhārata |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Mighty Abhimanyu, by those shafts, struck down from Vikarṇa’s chariot its banner, charioteer, and horses, as though he were dancing amid the battle, O Bhārata.

Word by Word

• {'saḥ': 'he', 'taiḥ': 'by those (weapons/shafts)', 'vikarṇasya': 'of Vikarṇa', 'rathāt': 'from the chariot', 'pātayāmāsa': 'caused to fall

• struck down', 'vīryavān': 'valiant

• mighty', 'dhvajam': 'banner

• standard', 'sūtam': 'charioteer', 'hayān': 'horses', 'ca eva': 'and indeed

• and also', 'nṛtyamāna iva': 'as if dancing', 'āhave': 'in battle', 'bhārata': 'O descendant of Bharata (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Abhimanyu
• Vikarṇa
• ratha (chariot)
• dhvaja (banner/standard)
• sūta (charioteer)
• haya (horses)
• Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma expressed as disciplined martial excellence: in war, a warrior uses skill and presence of mind to neutralize the opponent’s fighting capacity (banner, charioteer, horses), showing resolve and strategic clarity amid chaos.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Abhimanyu’s prowess in battle: he strikes Vikarṇa’s chariot components—its standard, charioteer, and horses—so they fall, and he appears to move with such mastery that it looks like he is ‘dancing’ on the battlefield.