Shloka 33
अभिमन्यु–अलम्बुसयुद्धम् / The Duel of Abhimanyu and Alambusa
with Arjuna’s approach to Bhīṣma
स विस्फार्य धनुश्रित्रमिन्द्राशनिसमस्वनम्
sa visphārya dhanuḥ śitraṃ indrāśani-samasvanam
Sañjaya said: He drew his bow—firm and well-strung—whose sound was like Indra’s thunderbolt, a martial signal that the moment for decisive action in the righteous struggle had arrived.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos: when duty calls in a dharmic conflict, resolve must be made manifest through disciplined readiness. The thunderbolt-like sound symbolizes moral and martial determination rather than mere aggression.
Sañjaya describes a warrior drawing and tightening his bow; its taut, resonant report is compared to Indra’s thunderbolt, signaling the onset or intensification of battle action.