Shloka 14
अभिमन्योर् दारुणः संमर्दः
Abhimanyu’s fierce melee amid chariot formations
स हताश्चादवप्लुत्य च्छिन्नधन्वा रथोत्तमात् | सात्यकेराप्लुतो यान गिर्यग्रमिव केसरी,धनुष कट जानेपर अपने अश्वहीन उत्तम रथसे कूदकर भीमसेन सात्यकिके रथपर जा बैठे, मानो कोई सिंह पर्वतके शिखरपर जा चढ़ा हो
sa hatāś cādavaplutya chinnadhanvā rathottamāt | sātyaker āpluto yānaṃ giryagram iva kesarī ||
Sañjaya said: Though his spirit was struck down and his bow cut, he leapt from his excellent chariot and sprang onto Sātyaki’s vehicle—like a lion mounting a mountain’s peak. The image shows a warrior who refuses to yield in crisis, choosing swift refuge and renewed battle rather than collapse or despair.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one’s means are damaged (the bow cut) and morale shaken (hatāśa), a warrior’s duty in a righteous cause is to regain footing through presence of mind—seeking support, repositioning, and continuing the struggle rather than surrendering to despair.
A warrior, having lost his bow and being shaken, jumps down from his own fine chariot and quickly mounts Sātyaki’s chariot. The simile of a lion climbing a mountain peak highlights speed, power, and renewed readiness to fight.