Shloka 18
अभिमन्युवधः
Abhimanyu’s Fall and the Battlefield Aftermath
पुरा सर्वान् प्रमथ्नाति ब्रूहस्य वधमाशु न: । ततो द्रोणो महेष्वास: सर्वास्तान् प्रत्यभाषत,“आचार्य! अभिमन्यु हमलोगोंको मार डाले' इसके पहले ही हमें शीघ्र यह बताइये कि इसका वध किस प्रकार होगा?” तब महाधनुर्धर द्रोणाचार्यने उन सबसे कहा--
sañjaya uvāca |
purā sarvān pramathnāti brūhy asya vadham āśu naḥ |
tato droṇo maheṣvāsaḥ sarvāṁs tān pratyabhāṣata |
Sañjaya said: “Before he crushes all of us, tell us quickly how he may be slain.” Then Droṇa, the great archer, replied to them all. The passage frames a grim wartime urgency: the Kaurava side seeks a means to stop Abhimanyu’s overwhelming assault, revealing how fear and strategic necessity can drive counsel toward lethal ends even against a youthful, valorous opponent.
संजय उवाच