Shloka 19
Abhimanyu’s Śrāddha; Vyāsa’s Assurance of the Unborn Heir (अभिमन्योः श्राद्धं तथा गर्भरक्षणोपदेशः)
न स शक्येत संग्रामे निहन्तुमपि वज्िणा । 'प्रभो! यदि निरन्तर उसे एक-एक वीरके साथ ही युद्ध करना पड़ता तो रणभूमिमें वज्रधारी इन्द्र भी उसे नहीं मार सकते थे (परन्तु वहाँ तो बात ही दूसरी हो गयी) ।।
na sa śakyeta saṅgrāme nihantum api vajriṇā |
Waiśampāyana berkata: Dalam pertempuran, ia takkan dapat dibunuh—bahkan oleh Indra sang pemegang Vajra. Maknanya: andaikan perang tetap berupa rangkaian duel satu lawan satu tanpa putus, kegagahannya akan membuatnya nyaris tak tersentuh; hanya perubahan keadaanlah yang dapat mengubah hasil demikian.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how extraordinary martial excellence can make a warrior seem beyond ordinary defeat, yet outcomes in war depend not only on strength but also on conditions, strategy, and shifting circumstances—hinting at the limits of sheer might.
Vaiśaṃpāyana offers a narrator’s evaluation of a warrior’s battlefield prowess, stating that in a straightforward, continuous combat scenario he would be impossible to kill—even for Indra—implying that later events must involve a different, decisive turn of circumstances.