Shloka 21
अभिमन्यु-पराक्रमवर्णनम्
Abhimanyu’s Prowess and the Duḥśāsana Engagement
मृदुर्भूत्वा महाराज दारुण: समपद्यत । वर्षाभ्यतीतो भगवाञ्छरदीव दिवाकर:,महाराज! जैसे वर्षाकाल बीतनेपर शरत्कालमें भगवान् सूर्य प्रचण्ड हो उठते हैं, उसी प्रकार अभिमन्यु पहले मृदु होकर अन्तमें शत्रुओंके लिये अति उग्र हो उठा
sañjaya uvāca | mṛdur bhūtvā mahārāja dāruṇaḥ samapadyata | varṣābhyatīto bhagavāñ śaradīva divākaraḥ ||
Wahai Raja, mula-mula ia tampak lembut, namun kemudian menjadi ganas. Seperti matahari yang mulia, setelah musim hujan berlalu, menyala tajam pada musim gugur—demikianlah Abhimanyu pada akhirnya bangkit menjadi dahsyat bagi musuh-musuhnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights controlled strength: gentleness is not weakness, and when dharma demands—especially in a kṣatriya context—one may shift from mildness to necessary fierceness. The seasonal simile suggests that intensity can be timely, purposeful, and situational rather than constant.
Sañjaya describes a warrior’s change in battle-temperament: after initially appearing mild, he becomes formidable to his foes, compared to the sun that grows scorching in autumn after the monsoon has ended.