Shloka 12
Jayadrathasya varaprāptiḥ (जयद्रथस्य वरप्राप्तिः) — Jayadratha’s boon and the restraint of the Pāṇḍava advance
भरतश्रेष्ठ] तब पुरुषप्रवर सुभद्राकुमार अभिमन्युने शंख बजाकर पुनः शीघ्र ही भारतीय सेनापर धावा किया ।। स कक्षेडग्निरिवोत्सृष्टो निर्दहंस्तरसा रिपून् | मध्ये भारतसैन्यानामार्जुनि: पर्यवर्तत,सूखे जंगलमें छोड़ी हुई आगके समान वेगसे शत्रुओंको दग्ध करता हुआ अभिमन्यु कौरव-सेनाके बीचमें विचरने लगा
sañjaya uvāca |
sa kakṣed agnir ivotsṛṣṭo nirdahaṁs tarasā ripūn |
madhye bhāratasainyānām ārjuniḥ paryavartata ||
Sanjaya said: Like a fire released into a dry thicket, Abhimanyu—Arjuna’s son—moved about in the midst of the Bharata host, swiftly scorching the enemy ranks with irresistible force.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma in its battlefield form: decisive action, courage, and unwavering commitment to one’s role. Ethically, it presents martial energy as a force that must be directed by duty—powerful like fire, effective yet inherently destructive.
Sanjaya describes Abhimanyu charging and moving within the enemy host, burning through opponents with speed and force. The imagery compares his onslaught to a fire set loose in dry brush, emphasizing the intensity of his advance amid the Bharata/Kuru ranks.