Shloka 15

Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

अभिमन्युस्तत: क्रुद्धो नवरभिर्नतपर्वभि: । बिभेद निशितैर्बाणै राक्षसेन्द्रे महोरसि,इससे क़ुद्ध होकर अभिमन्युने राक्षसराज अलम्बुषकी चौड़ी छातीमें झुकी हुई गाँठवाले नौ पैने बाण मारे

Transliteration

abhimanyus tataḥ kruddho navabhir nataparvabhiḥ | bibheda niśitair bāṇai rākṣasendre mahorasi ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Entonces Abhimanyu, encendido de ira, hirió al rey rākṣasa Alambuṣa en su ancho pecho con nueve flechas agudas, de junturas curvadas.

Word by Word

अभिमन्युःAbhimanyu

ततःthen/thereupon

क्रुद्धःangered

नवwith nine

अरभिःspokes (i.e., spoke-like/pointed shafts; here: arrows)

नतपर्वभिःhaving bent joints/knots (of arrows)

बिभेदpierced/split

निशितैःsharp

बाणैःwith arrows

राक्षसेन्द्रेin/at the lord of the Rakshasas (the Rakshasa-king)

महा-उरसिon the broad chest

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Abhimanyu

Alambuṣa

arrows (bāṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in action: when confronted by a hostile and unrighteous threat on the battlefield, a warrior must respond with focused courage and skill, directing anger into disciplined protection rather than cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Abhimanyu, angered in combat, shoots nine sharp arrows with bent joints into the broad chest of the rākṣasa-king Alambuṣa, marking an intense exchange in the Kurukṣetra war.