Shloka 18
अभिमन्योर् दारुणः संमर्दः
Abhimanyu’s fierce melee amid chariot formations
सुभद्राकुमार अभिमन्युने पहले गजारोहियोंसहित बहुत-से गजराजोंको मारकर व्यूहमें प्रवेश करनेके लिये जो पाण्डवोंको मार्ग दिखा दिया था, उसे जयद्रथने बंद कर दिया ।। यतमानास्तु ते वीरा मत्स्यपञ्चालकेकया: । पाण्डवाश्नान्वपद्यन्त प्रतिशेकुर्न सैन्धवम्,वे वीर मत्स्य, पांचाल, केकय तथा पाण्डव बारंबार प्रयत्न करके व्यूहपर आक्रमण करते थे; परंतु सिंधुराजके सामने टिक नहीं पाते थे
yatamānās tu te vīrā matsya-pañcāla-kekayāḥ | pāṇḍavāś cānvapadyanta pratiṣekur na saindhavam ||
Sañjaya said: Abhimanyu, Subhadrā’s son, had earlier slain many lordly elephants with their drivers and shown the Pāṇḍavas a way to enter the battle-array; but Jayadratha blocked that passage. Those valiant warriors—the Matsyas, the Pañcālas, the Kekayas, and the Pāṇḍavas—strove again and again to break the formation and press on; yet before the king of Sindhu (Jayadratha) they could not stand firm nor force a way through. The scene shows how one resolute defender at a crucial choke-point can thwart even righteous resolve when strategy and circumstance turn against it.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Persistent effort (prayatna) is essential, yet outcomes in dharmic conflict also depend on positioning, timing, and the opponent’s strategic advantage. The verse highlights the ethical tension of righteous intent meeting practical constraints: valor alone may not suffice without coordinated means.
The allied forces of the Pāṇḍavas—Matsyas, Pañcālas, and Kekayas—repeatedly attempt to break into the enemy formation, but Jayadratha, stationed as a key defender, successfully checks their advance and prevents them from pushing through.