Shloka 36
अभिमन्यु–अलम्बुसयुद्धम् / The Duel of Abhimanyu and Alambusa
with Arjuna’s approach to Bhīṣma
स गाढविद्धो व्यथितो रथोपस्थ उपाविशत् । मोहितं वीक्ष्य राजानं नीलम भ्रचयोपमम्
sa gāḍhaviddho vyathito rathopastha upāviśat | mohitaṃ vīkṣya rājānaṃ nīlam bhracayopamam ||
Sañjaya said: Struck deeply and shaken with pain, he sank down upon the seat of the chariot. Seeing the king bewildered—his complexion darkened, like a mass of storm-clouds—he perceived the crushing force of the wound and the moral weight of the moment amid the battle’s turmoil.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how violence in war brings immediate bodily suffering and mental disorientation even to the mighty; it implicitly warns that power and status do not shield one from the consequences of conflict, and that leaders must face the ethical gravity of battle.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior, grievously wounded, collapses onto the chariot-seat; at the same time the king is seen to be stunned and darkened in appearance, indicating shock and distress in the midst of the battlefield events.