Shloka 12
अभिमन्योर् विक्रमः — Abhimanyu’s Disruptive Advance and the Gāndharva-astra Counter
विस्फारयन्तक्षापानि नानारूपाण्यनेकश: । तद् युद्धमभवद् रौद्रं सौभद्रस्यारिभि: सह,वे अपने नाना प्रकारके धनुषोंकी बारंबार टंकार करने लगे। सुभद्राकुमारका शत्रुओंके साथ वह बड़ा भयंकर युद्ध हुआ
visphārayantaḥ śarāṇi nānārūpāṇy anekaśaḥ | tad yuddham abhavad raudraṃ saubhadrasya āribhiḥ saha ||
Sañjaya said: As they repeatedly discharged arrows of many kinds and forms, a fierce and terrifying battle arose between Saubhadra (Abhimanyu) and his enemies.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: once conflict is joined, it escalates through repeated acts of violence (the continual release of arrows), producing a 'raudra' atmosphere. Ethically, it frames the battlefield as a domain where courage and duty operate amid fearsome consequences, highlighting the tragic intensity that dharma-bound combat can generate.
Sañjaya describes the combat intensifying: warriors repeatedly shoot varied arrows, and the confrontation between Saubhadra (Abhimanyu) and his opposing fighters becomes extremely fierce and dreadful.