Shloka 246
अभिमन्युवधः
Abhimanyu’s Fall and the Battlefield Aftermath
स्थातव्यमिति तिष्ठामि पीड्यमानो5भिमन्युना । तदनन्तर कर्णने अभिमन्युके बाणोंसे आहत होकर पुनः द्रोणाचार्यसे कहा--“आचार्य! मैं अभिमन्युके बाणोंसे पीड़ित होता हुआ भी केवल इसलिये यहाँ खड़ा हूँ कि युद्धके मैदानमें डटे रहना ही क्षत्रियका धर्म है (अन्यथा मैं कभी भाग गया होता)
sthātavyam iti tiṣṭhāmi pīḍyamāno 'bhimanyunā |
“Aku harus tetap berdiri,” demikian tekadku, meski aku dihimpit oleh anak panah Abhimanyu. Setelah itu Karṇa, terluka oleh panah Abhimanyu, berkata kepada Droṇācārya, “Ācārya! Walau tersiksa oleh panah Abhimanyu, aku bertahan di sini hanya karena teguh di medan perang adalah dharma seorang kṣatriya—kalau tidak, tentu aku sudah lari.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds kṣatriya-dharma: even when wounded and under pressure, a warrior is expected to remain steadfast on the battlefield. The ethical emphasis is on duty and resolve overriding fear and self-preservation.
In the midst of combat, Abhimanyu’s attack is causing severe distress to the speaker, yet he declares that he continues to hold his position solely out of adherence to the warrior’s duty. The surrounding prose context indicates he reports this to Droṇācārya after being struck by Abhimanyu’s arrows.