Shloka 7
अभिमन्युवधः
Abhimanyu’s Fall and the Battlefield Aftermath
मागधस्य तथा पुत्र हत्वा षड़भिरजिद्वागै: । साश्वं ससूतं तरुणमश्वकेतुमपातयत्,इसी प्रकार उसने मगधराजके तरुण पुत्र अश्वकेतुको छ: बाणोंद्वारा मारकर उसे घोड़ों और सारथिसहित रथसे नीचे गिरा दिया
māgadhasya tathā putraṃ hatvā ṣaḍbhir ajidvāgaiḥ | sāśvaṃ sasūtaṃ taruṇam aśvaketuṃ apātayat ||
Sañjaya dit : De la même manière, après avoir abattu d’infaillibles six flèches le fils du roi de Magadha, il fit choir du char le jeune Aśvaketu, avec ses chevaux et son cocher.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: prowess and decisive action determine outcomes, and even the young and valorous are subject to sudden death. Ethically, it reflects the epic’s portrayal of war as a domain where duty and skill operate within a tragic, mortality-centered frame.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior (implied from prior context) strikes down the Magadhan king’s young son Aśvaketu with six powerful arrows, causing him to fall from his chariot along with his horses and charioteer.