Shloka 24
द्रोणानीकाभिमुखगमनम्
Abhimanyu advances toward Droṇa’s host
अभिमन्युरुवाच अहमेतत् प्रवेक्ष्यामि द्रोणानीकं दुरासदम् । पतड़ इव संक्रुद्धो ज्वलितं जातवेदसम्,अभिमन्युने कहा--जैसे पतंग जलती हुई आगमें कूद पड़ता है, उसी प्रकार मैं भी कुपित हो द्रोणाचार्यके दुर्गम सैन्य-व्यूहमें प्रवेश करूँगा
abhimanyur uvāca: aham etat pravekṣyāmi droṇānīkaṃ durāsadam | pataṅga iva saṃkruddho jvalitaṃ jātavedasam ||
Abhimanyu said: “I shall enter Droṇa’s formidable, hard-to-assail battle-array. As a moth, in wrath, plunges into the blazing fire, so will I, in fury, force my way into Droṇa’s impenetrable formation.”
भीम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya resolve and willingness to risk oneself for a righteous objective: steadfast courage in the face of near-certain danger, while also hinting at the ethical tension of war—valor can resemble self-sacrifice, like a moth drawn to flame.
Abhimanyu declares his intention to break into Droṇa’s difficult-to-penetrate battle formation. He uses a vivid simile—like a moth rushing into fire—to convey both his anger and his readiness to face deadly peril to advance his side’s cause.