Shloka 9

Droṇa’s Defensive Stand and Abhimanyu Commissioned to Breach the Cakravyūha (द्रोणानीक-प्रतिरोधः; सौभद्र-नियोजनम्)

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिरस्य वीर्येण कृष्णस्य चरितेन च । कर्मभिर्भीमसेनस्य सदृशो भीमकर्मण:,युधिष्ठिरके पराक्रम, श्रीकृष्णके उत्तम चरित्र एवं भयंकर कर्म करनेवाले भीमसेनके वीरोचित कर्मोके समान ही अभिमन्युके भी पराक्रम, चरित्र और कर्म थे

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhirasya vīryeṇa kṛṣṇasya caritena ca | karmabhir bhīmasenasya sadṛśo bhīmakarmaṇaḥ ||

Translation

संजय बोले—युधिष्ठिर के पराक्रम के समान उसका पराक्रम था, श्रीकृष्ण के उत्तम चरित्र के समान उसका चरित्र था, और भयंकर कर्म करने वाले भीमसेन के समान उसके कर्म थे; वह वीर इन सब में उनके तुल्य था।

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरस्यof Yudhiṣṭhira

वीर्येणby/with valor

कृष्णस्यof Kṛṣṇa

चरितेनby/with conduct/deeds

चand

कर्मभिःby/with deeds

भीमसेनस्यof Bhīmasena

सदृशःsimilar/equal

भीमकर्मणःof the doer of terrible deeds

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kṛṣṇa

Bhīmasena

Abhimanyu

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 frames ideal warrior excellence as a harmony of three virtues: righteous valor (Yudhiṣṭhira), exemplary character and guidance (Kṛṣṇa), and decisive, formidable action (Bhīma). True greatness is not mere strength but strength governed by dharma and noble conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is praising a mighty warrior—understood in context as Abhimanyu—by comparing him to leading figures of the Pāṇḍavas and their ally: he matches Yudhiṣṭhira in courage, Kṛṣṇa in noble conduct, and Bhīma in powerful deeds, underscoring Abhimanyu’s exceptional stature in the war.