Shloka 343
Adhyāya 40 (Book 7, Droṇa-parva): Abhimanyu’s Rapid Advance and Battlefield Disruption
असम्भ्रान्तश्न तान् सर्वानिगृह्नात् फाल्गुनात्मज: । कर्णने भी उसके ऊपर झुकी हुई गाँठवाले बहुत-से बाण चलाये; परंतु अर्जुनकुमारने उन सबको बिना किसी घबराहटके सह लिया
sañjaya uvāca | asambhrāntaḥ sa tān sarvān nigṛhṇāt phālgunātmajaḥ | karṇena bhīṣmaka-upamān bahūn bāṇān pracoditān | sa tu sarvān anāyāsaṃ soḍhavān iti ||
Sañjaya berkata: Tanpa gentar dan tetap menguasai diri, putra Phalguna menahan serta menanggung semua serangan itu. Karṇa pun melepaskan banyak anak panah yang keras dan beruas-ruas ke arahnya; namun sang pemuda menahannya tanpa panik.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadiness (asambhrānti) as a warrior’s ethical strength: even under severe attack, one should not lose composure. Courage here is not mere aggression but disciplined endurance and self-control in the face of fear and pain.
Sañjaya narrates that Karṇa showers Abhimanyu (the son of Arjuna) with many powerful arrows, but Abhimanyu remains unshaken and withstands the barrage, continuing to hold his ground in the battle.