Mahabharata 7.38.7 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 38, Shloka 7
अभिमन्यु-पराक्रमवर्णनम्
Abhimanyu’s Prowess and the Duḥśāsana Engagement
लघुहस्त: प्रचिच्छेद ददृशे तं न कश्नन । स पपात क्षितौ क्षीण: प्रविद्धाभरणाम्बर:
laghuhastaḥ praciccheda dadṛśe taṃ na kaścana | sa papāta kṣitau kṣīṇaḥ praviddhābharaṇāmbaraḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Dengan tangan yang secepat kilat ia menebasnya; tak seorang pun sempat melihatnya dengan jelas. Lemas, ia roboh ke bumi, perhiasan dan pakaiannya terlempar tercerai-berai.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of embodied life amid warfare: even great strength and status (signified by ornaments and fine clothing) can be instantly undone. Ethically, it points to the sobering cost of battle and the impermanence that should temper pride and aggression.
Sañjaya describes a combat moment where a swift-handed fighter strikes so quickly that observers cannot clearly perceive the action; the struck warrior, drained of strength, collapses to the ground with his ornaments and garments scattered in the fall.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.