Shloka 21
अभिमन्यु-परिवेष्टनम्
Encirclement and Counterassault of Abhimanyu
ते हन्यमाना विवशा नानालिऊ्लेः शितै: शरै: । अभिपेतु: सुबहुश: शलभा इव पावकम्,नाना प्रकारके चिह्लोंसे सुशोभित पैने बाणोंकी मार खाकर वे बहुसंख्यक कौरववीर विवश हो धरतीपर गिर पड़े, मानो ढेर-के-ढेर फतिंगे जलती आगमें पड़ गये हों
te hanyamānā vivaśā nānāliṅgaiḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ | abhipetuḥ subahuśaḥ śalabhā iva pāvakam ||
Sañjaya berkata: Dihantam panah-panah tajam yang bertanda beragam lambang, para kesatria Kaurava itu tak berdaya dan berguguran dalam jumlah besar—laksana kawanan ngengat yang menerjang nyala api.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the catastrophic inevitability that can arise in war: when a force becomes overwhelming, even brave warriors lose agency and are swept into destruction. The moth-and-fire simile warns how attraction to battle-glory or compulsion of conflict can lead masses toward ruin, raising an implicit ethical lament about the cost of warfare.
Sañjaya describes Kaurava fighters being struck by many sharp, emblem-marked arrows and collapsing in large numbers. Their fall is compared to moths plunging into fire, emphasizing both the speed and the helplessness of their destruction amid the ongoing battle in Droṇa Parva.