Shloka 18

भीष्मवधाय प्रयाणम् — The Advance toward Bhīṣma and Counter-Engagements

Devanagari script

अथाभिमन्युं समरे भीमसेनेन संगतम्‌ । पार्षतेन च सम्प्रेक्ष्य तव सैन्ये महारथा:

Transliteration

athābhimanyuṃ samare bhīmasenena saṅgatam | pārṣatena ca samprekṣya tava sainye mahārathāḥ ||

Translation

Kemudian, melihat Abhimanyu di medan laga bertempur bersama Bhimasena dan Pārṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna), para maharathi dari pasukanmu maju cepat dengan busur di tangan, melesat menuju tempat para jawara pihak Pāṇḍava berdiri.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अभिमन्युम्: Abhimanyu (as object of seeing)
• अभिमन्युम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिमन्यु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भीमसेनेन: with Bhimasena
• भीमसेनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• संगतम्: met/associated (having come together)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संगत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पार्षतेन: with the son of Prishata (Dhrishtadyumna)
• पार्षतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सम्प्रेक्ष्य: having seen/observed
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-ईक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• तव: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Second, Genitive, Singular

• सैन्ये: in (your) army
• सैन्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• महारथाः: great chariot-warriors
• महारथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Abhimanyu
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Pārṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna)
• Kaurava army (tava sainya)
• Mahārathas (elite chariot-warriors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a recurring ethical tension in the Mahābhārata: martial duty (kṣatriya-dharma) demands swift response to battlefield developments, yet such responses also intensify violence. It shows how alliances and perceived threats drive collective action, reminding readers that war amplifies both courage and the momentum of retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Kaurava-side elite warriors, noticing Abhimanyu engaged alongside Bhīma and Dhṛṣṭadyumna, surge forward with bows ready, converging on the location where the Pāṇḍava champions are positioned—signaling an imminent clash of leading fighters.