Shloka 9
कर्णस्य सेनापत्याभिषेकः | Karṇa’s Consecration as Commander-in-Chief
अशवनुवद्धिर्बीभत्सुमभिमन्युर्निपातित: । जो बाल्यावस्थामें ही दुर्धर्ष वीर था और सव्यसाची अर्जुन, भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण अथवा बलदेवजीके समान समझा जाता था तथा जो महान् रथयुद्धमें विशेष कुशल था, वह अभिमन्यु शत्रुओंका संहार करके छः: बड़े-बड़े महारथियोंद्वारा, जिनका अर्जुनपर वश नहीं चलता था, चारों ओरसे घेरकर मार डाला गया ।। ७-८ $ ।। कृतं त॑ विरथं वीरें क्षत्रधर्मे व्यवस्थितम्
Sañjaya uvāca — aśvān anubaddhair bībhatsum abhimanyur nipātitaḥ | yaḥ bālyāvasthāyām eva durdharṣa-vīra āsīt, sa vyasācī Arjunaḥ Bhagavān Śrī-Kṛṣṇaḥ athavā Baladeva iva manyate sma; yaś ca mahati ratha-yuddhe viśeṣa-kuśalaḥ, sa Abhimanyuḥ śatrūn saṁhṛtya ṣaḍbhiḥ mahā-rathibhiḥ, yeṣām Arjune vaśo na calati, caturdiśaṁ parivārya hataḥ || kṛtaṁ taṁ virathaṁ vīraṁ kṣatra-dharme vyavasthitam ||
Sañjaya said: Abhimanyu—whom the warriors compared to the formidable Bībhatsu (Arjuna), to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, or even to Baladeva; who, though still in youth, was an unconquerable hero and exceptionally skilled in great chariot-combat—after cutting down enemies, was surrounded on all sides and slain by six mighty chariot-warriors, men whom Arjuna could not bring under his control. Thus they reduced that valiant fighter to a chariotless state, even as he stood firm in the duty of a kṣatriya.
संजय उवाच