Shloka 24
धृष्टद्युम्नस्य द्रोणरथारोহণं सात्यकेः प्रतिरक्षणं च | Dhrishtadyumna Boards Droṇa’s Chariot; Sātyaki’s Counter-Protection
सुकुमारं महेष्वासं वासवस्यात्मजात्मजम् | सदा मम प्रियं ब्रूत कथमायोधने हतः,“इन्द्रके पौत्र तथा मुझे सदा प्रिय लगनेवाले सुकुमार शरीर महाधनुर्धर अभिमन्युके विषयमें बताइये। वह युद्धमें कैसे मारा गया?
sukumāraṁ maheṣvāsaṁ vāsavasyātmajātmajam | sadā mama priyaṁ brūta katham āyodhane hataḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : «Parlez-moi de ce jeune homme encore tendre, le grand archer—petit-fils de Vāsava (Indra)—qui m’était toujours cher. Comment fut-il tué dans la bataille ?»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical weight of war: even the most beloved and valorous can fall, and the righteous response begins with truthful inquiry—seeking to understand the causes and manner of a death rather than reducing it to mere victory.
Sañjaya, narrating events, is asked to explain the death of Abhimanyu—described as a tender-bodied yet mighty archer and Indra’s grandson—specifically how he was killed on the battlefield.