Shloka 10
सैन्धवविक्रमवर्णनम् / Description of Jayadratha’s Martial Display
अत्यद्भुतमहं मन्ये बल॑ शौर्य च सैन्धवे । तस्य प्रब्रूहि मे वीर्य कर्म चाग्र्यं महात्मन:,अभ्यद्रवन् परीप्सन्तो व्यूढानीका: प्रहारिण: । संजयने कहा--राजन! युधिष्ठिर, भीमसेन, शिखण्डी, सात्यकि, नकुल-सहदेव, धष्टद्युम्न, विराट, द्रपद, केकय-राजकुमार, रोषमें भरा हुआ धृष्टकेतु तथा मत्स्यदेशीय योद्धा --ये सब-के-सब युद्धस्थलमें आगे बढ़े। अभिमन्युके ताऊ, चाचा तथा मामागण अपनी सेनाको व्यूहद्वारा संगठित करके प्रहार करनेके लिये उद्यत हो अभिमन्युकी रक्षाके लिये उसीके बनाये हुए मार्गसे व्यूहमें जानेके उद्देश्यसे एक साथ दौड़ पड़े
sañjaya uvāca |
atyadbhutam ahaṁ manye balaṁ śauryaṁ ca saindhave |
tasya prabrūhi me vīryaṁ karma cāgryaṁ mahātmanaḥ |
abhyadravan parīpsanto vyūḍhānīkāḥ prahāriṇaḥ |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “I deem the strength and valor of the Sindhu prince truly astonishing. Tell me, O great-souled one, of his heroic power and his finest deed.” Then the warriors, their forces drawn up in battle-array and eager to strike, surged forward together, intent on entering the formation by the very path Abhimanyu had made—seeking to protect him.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary martial prowess can decisively shape events, yet it also frames valor within responsibility: warriors organize and charge not merely to strike, but to protect a vulnerable ally (Abhimanyu). It implicitly contrasts raw heroism with the ethical burden of how that power is used in war.
Sañjaya remarks on the astonishing strength and bravery of Jayadratha and asks for an account of his greatest exploit. In the battle context, the Pāṇḍava-side warriors, with their troops arranged in formation, rush forward together to enter the enemy formation by the route already opened—aiming to reach and protect Abhimanyu.