Shloka 9
अभिमन्योर् दारुणः संमर्दः
Abhimanyu’s fierce melee amid chariot formations
युधिष्टिरं तु सप्तत्या तत: शेषानपानुदत् । इषुजालेन महता तदद्धभुतमिवाभवत्
yudhiṣṭhiraṃ tu saptatyā tataḥ śeṣān apānudat | iṣujālena mahatā tad adbhutam ivābhavat
Sañjaya said: Then, with seventy arrows, he checked Yudhiṣṭhira; thereafter he drove back the rest. With that vast net of arrows, the scene appeared almost wondrous—an awe-inspiring display of martial power amid the grim demands of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between the grim necessity of kṣatriya-duty in war and the human capacity to feel awe at extraordinary skill. Even amid violence, the epic notes how power and technique can appear ‘adbhuta’—a reminder that ethical reflection must accompany admiration for prowess.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior (implied from context) strikes/contains Yudhiṣṭhira with seventy arrows and then repels the remaining opponents. The battlefield becomes like a ‘net of arrows,’ creating a visually overwhelming and astonishing scene.