Shloka 21
अभिमन्युर्विकर्णस्य हयान् हत्वा महाहवे | अथीैनं पज्चविंशत्या क्षुद्रकाणां समार्पयत्,अभिमन्युने उस महायुद्धमें विकर्णके घोड़ोंको मारकर स्वयं विकर्णको भी पचीस बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया
abhimanyur vikarṇasya hayān hatvā mahāhave | athainaṃ pañcaviṃśatyā kṣudrakāṇāṃ samārpayat ||
Sañjaya said: In that great battle, Abhimanyu slew Vikarna’s horses; then he struck Vikarna himself with twenty-five swift arrows. The episode underscores the relentless, rule-bound intensity of kṣatriya warfare, where disabling an opponent’s mobility and then directly engaging him is a decisive, tactical act within the brutal ethics of the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh but structured ethic of kṣatriya warfare: decisive action, tactical disabling of the enemy’s chariot team, and direct engagement. It reflects how duty in war can demand swift, forceful measures even when they entail severe violence.
Sañjaya reports that Abhimanyu, in the midst of a major clash, first kills Vikarna’s horses and then wounds Vikarna with twenty-five fast arrows, asserting dominance in that exchange of chariot combat.