Shloka 19
अभिमन्युवधः
Abhimanyu’s Fall and the Battlefield Aftermath
अस्ति वास्यान्तरं किंचित् कुमारस्यथाथ पश्यत । अण्वप्यस्यान्तरं हाद्य चरत: सर्वतोदिशम्,“देखो, क्या इस कुमार अभिमन्युमें कहीं कोई दुर्बलता या छिठद्र है? सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें विचरते हुए अभिमन्युमें आज कोई छोटा-सा भी छिटद्र हो तो देखो
asti vāsyāntaraṃ kiñcit kumārasyātha paśyata | aṇv apy asyāntaraṃ hādya carataḥ sarvato diśam ||
Sañjaya said: “See whether there is any small opening—any vulnerability at all—in this young prince. As he moves about in every direction today, look carefully: if there is even the tiniest gap in him, find it.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a harsh wartime ethic: victory often depends on detecting even the smallest weakness in a formidable opponent. It implicitly raises the moral tension between strategic necessity and the targeting of a young hero’s vulnerability.
In the account of Abhimanyu’s combat, the opposing side is being urged to observe him from all directions and identify any opening—however tiny—through which he can be checked or struck.