Shloka 273
Adhyāya 40 (Book 7, Droṇa-parva): Abhimanyu’s Rapid Advance and Battlefield Disruption
अविध्यत् त्वरितो राजन द्रोणं प्रेप्सुमहामना: । राजन्! उस समय महामनस्वी अभिमन्युने द्रोणाचार्यके समीप पहुँचनेकी इच्छा रखकर तुरंत ही तिहत्तर बाणोंद्वारा कर्णको घायल कर दिया
avidhyat tvarito rājan droṇaṁ prepsumahāmanāḥ |
Sañjaya said: “O King, acting with swift resolve, the high-souled warrior—intent on reaching Droṇa—struck Karṇa at once with seventy-three arrows.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores purposeful action aligned with one’s role: Abhimanyu’s force is directed by a clear objective (reaching Droṇa) rather than mere rage. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, even violent acts are evaluated by intention, duty, and proportionality within the tragic constraints of war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Abhimanyu, eager to get near Droṇa, quickly wounds Karṇa with seventy-three arrows—an immediate tactical strike to clear or pressure a formidable opponent while advancing toward the commander.