Shloka 96
अभिमन्यु-परिवेष्टनम्
Encirclement and Counterassault of Abhimanyu
नातिहृष्टमना: सूतो हेमभाण्डपरिच्छदान् । तब सारथिने सुवर्णमय आभूषणोंसे भूषित तथा तीन वर्षकी अवस्थावाले घोड़ोंको शीघ्र आगे बढ़ाया। उस समय उसका मन अधिक प्रसन्न नहीं था
sañjaya uvāca | nātihṛṣṭamanāḥ sūto hemabhāṇḍaparicchadān | tataḥ sārathine suvarṇamaya-ābhūṣaṇaiḥ bhūṣitān tathā trivarṣāvasthāvato hayān śīghram agre ’bhyavartayat | tasya tadā mano ’tyarthaṃ na prahṛṣṭam āsīt |
Sañjaya said: The charioteer, not greatly delighted at heart, then quickly urged forward the horses—three years of age—adorned with golden ornaments and furnished with golden trappings for the chariot. Yet at that moment his mind was not truly joyful, suggesting an inward unease amid the outward splendor and the pressing demands of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts external magnificence (golden ornaments and trappings) with inner emotion (a mind not truly delighted). In the Mahabharata’s war setting, it highlights how duty-driven action can proceed even when the heart is uneasy, underscoring the ethical tension between outward role-performance and inward moral or emotional disturbance.
Sanjaya reports that a charioteer, though not happy at heart, quickly drives the chariot forward by urging on young, richly adorned horses equipped with golden gear. The detail signals urgency in the battlefield movement while hinting at foreboding or reluctance within the driver.