Shloka 9
अभिमन्योरावरणम्
Encirclement and counter-strikes of Abhimanyu
तमन्वगेवास्य पिता पुत्रगृद्धी न््यवर्तत । अनुदुर्योधनं चान्ये न्यवर्तन्त महारथा:,पुत्रकी रक्षा चाहनेवाला पिता दुर्योधन भी उसीके साथ-साथ लौट पड़ा। फिर दुर्योधनके पीछे दूसरे महारथी लौट आये
tam anvagevāsya pitā putragṛddhī nyavartata | anuduryodhanaṃ cānye nyavartanta mahārathāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: His father, driven by an intense longing for his son, turned back, following close behind him. And after Duryodhana, other great chariot-warriors also withdrew.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the power of personal attachment—especially parental protectiveness—to override purely strategic or impersonal considerations in war. It points to an ethical tension: duty to the larger cause versus the pull of family bonds, showing how leaders and allies may be moved by affection as much as by policy.
Sañjaya reports that a key figure (described as 'his father') turns back, closely following the one who has withdrawn, motivated by concern for his son. Subsequently, Duryodhana is followed by other elite chariot-warriors who also turn back, indicating a broader withdrawal or regrouping behind Duryodhana.