Shloka 19
अभिमन्यु–अलम्बुसयुद्धम् / The Duel of Abhimanyu and Alambusa
with Arjuna’s approach to Bhīṣma
स गाढविद्धो व्यथितो वयोवृद्धश्च भारत । प्रणष्टसंज्ञ: सहसा रथोपस्थ उपाविशत्,भरतनन्दन! उन बाणोंसे उन्हें गहरा आघात लगा। वे वयोवृद्ध तो थे ही, सहसा व्यथित एवं अचेत होकर रथके पिछले भागमें बैठ गये
sa gāḍhaviddho vyathito vayovṛddhaś ca bhārata | praṇaṣṭasaṃjñaḥ sahasā rathopasthe upāviśat ||
Sañjaya said: Struck deeply by those arrows, and already advanced in years, he was suddenly overwhelmed with pain and lost consciousness; he sank down and sat upon the rear part of the chariot. The scene underscores how, in war, even the mighty are bound by bodily frailty and the harsh consequences of violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the inevitability of bodily vulnerability and suffering in warfare: age and physical limits can overwhelm even a warrior, reminding the listener that violence carries immediate human costs and that strength is not absolute.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior, grievously pierced by arrows and being elderly, is suddenly overcome by pain, loses consciousness, and collapses into a seated position on the rear/seat area of the chariot.