Shloka 17
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 37: Sañjaya’s Account of Abhimanyu’s Precision Disruption of a Chariot Contingent
इस प्रकार वह भयंकर एवं घोर संग्राम चल रहा था। उसमें आपके पुत्र दुःसहने नौ, दुःशासनने बारह, शरद्वानके पुत्र कृपाचार्यने तीन और द्रोणाचार्यने विषधर सर्पके समान भयंकर सत्रह बाणोंसे अभिमन्युको बींध डाला ।। विविंशतिस्तु सप्तत्या कृतवर्मा च सप्तभि: । बृहद्धलस्तथाष्टाभिरश्वृत्थामा च सप्तभि:,इसी प्रकार विविंशतिने सत्तर, कृतवर्माने सात, बृहद्धलने आठ, अभश्वत्थामाने सात, भूरिश्रवाने तीन, मद्रराज शल्यने छः, शकुनिने दो और राजा दुर्योधनने तीन बाणोंसे अभिमन्युको घायल कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
iti sa bhīṣaṇaḥ krūraḥ saṅgrāmaḥ samapadyata |
tatra te putrā duḥsahena nava duḥśāsanena dvādaśa śaradvat-putreṇa kṛpeṇa trīn droṇena ca viṣadhara-sarpa-sadṛśān bhīṣaṇān saptadaśa bāṇān abhimanyum āvidhya ||
viviṁśatis tu saptatyā kṛtavarmā ca saptabhiḥ |
bṛhadbalaś tathāṣṭābhir aśvatthāmā ca saptabhiḥ |
bhūriśravāś ca tribhir madrarājaḥ śalyaḥ ṣaḍbhiḥ |
śakuniś ca dvābhyāṁ rājā duryodhanaś ca tribhir bāṇair abhimanyum abhyahanat ||
Sañjaya said: Thus that dreadful and savage battle raged on. Duḥsaha struck Abhimanyu with nine arrows; Duḥśāsana with twelve; Kṛpa, son of Śaradvat, with three; and Droṇa pierced him with seventeen fearsome shafts, like a venomous serpent. Likewise Viviṁśati wounded him with seventy arrows, Kṛtavarmā with seven, Bṛhadbala with eight, Aśvatthāmā with seven, Bhūriśravas with three, Śalya king of Madra with six, Śakuni with two, and King Duryodhana with three.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how dharma in warfare can collapse when many powerful fighters unite against a single opponent. It implicitly critiques victory sought through overwhelming, coordinated force rather than fair engagement, showing how adharma can manifest even among celebrated warriors.
Sañjaya reports that the battle is raging fiercely and that Abhimanyu is repeatedly struck by numerous Kaurava-side warriors—each named—who wound him with specified numbers of arrows, intensifying the sense of encirclement and impending tragedy.