Shloka 3
अभिमन्यु-परिवेष्टनम्
Encirclement and Counterassault of Abhimanyu
अतिभारोथयमायुष्मन्नाहितस्त्वयि पाण्डवै: । सम्प्रधार्य क्षणं बुद्धा ततस्त्वं योद्धुमहसि,'आयुष्मन्! पाण्डवोंने आपके ऊपर यह बहुत बड़ा भार रख दिया है। पहले आप क्षणभर रुककर बुद्धिपूर्वक अपने कर्तव्यका निश्चय कर लीजिये। उसके बाद युद्ध कीजिये
atibhāro ’yam āyuṣman nāhitas tvayi pāṇḍavaiḥ | sampradhārya kṣaṇaṁ buddhvā tatas tvaṁ yoddhum arhasi ||
Sañjaya said: “O venerable one, the Pāṇḍavas have placed upon you a very heavy burden. Pause for a moment, reflect with clear judgment, and decide what your duty requires; then, having resolved, you should engage in battle.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Before acting—especially in war—one should pause, deliberate with discernment (buddhi), and determine one’s dharma; only then should one proceed. The verse frames fighting not as impulse but as a duty undertaken after ethical reflection.
Sañjaya addresses a respected warrior-leader, noting that the Pāṇḍavas have effectively forced a grave responsibility upon him. He urges a brief pause to assess the situation and decide the proper course, and then to fight once the decision is made.