Shloka 11
न चैनं तावका राजन् विषेहुररिघातिनम् | प्रदीप्तं पावक॑ यद्धत् पतड़ा: कालचोदिता:,राजन्! आपके सैनिक शत्रुघाती अभिमन्युका वेग नहीं सह सके। जैसे कालप्रेरित फतिंगे प्रजजलित अग्निकी आँच नहीं सह पाते (उसीमें झुलसकर मर जाते हैं), वही दशा आपके सैनिकोंकी थी
na cainaṃ tāvakā rājan viṣehuḥ arighātinam | pradīptaṃ pāvakaṃ yathā pataṅgāḥ kālacoditāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, your warriors could not withstand him—Abhimanyu, the slayer of foes. Just as moths, driven by fate, cannot endure a blazing fire and perish in its heat, so too were your troops overcome before his fierce onslaught.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overwhelming force of a dharmic hero in battle and underscores the role of kāla (Time/Fate): when destiny ripens, even many cannot withstand one blazing power—like moths drawn helplessly to fire.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava soldiers failed to endure Abhimanyu’s assault; they were scattered and destroyed, compared to moths perishing in a blazing flame.