Shloka 416
अभिमन्यु–अलम्बुसयुद्धम् / The Duel of Abhimanyu and Alambusa
with Arjuna’s approach to Bhīṣma
मोहयन् समरे द्रौणिं मायावी राक्षसाधिप: । तत्पश्चात् उस मायावी राक्षसराजने समरांगणमें अश्वत्थामाको मोहित करते हुए अत्यन्त दारुण घोर माया प्रकट की
sañjaya uvāca | mohayan samare drauṇiṃ māyāvī rākṣasādhipaḥ | tatpaścāt sa māyāvī rākṣasarājo raṇāṅgaṇe aśvatthāmānaṃ mohayann atyantaṃ dāruṇaṃ ghoraṃ māyāṃ prāduracakāra |
Sanjaya said: In the thick of battle, the illusion-wielding lord of the Rakshasas bewildered Drona’s son. Thereafter, that crafty Rakshasa-king, continuing to confound Ashvatthama on the battlefield, manifested a most dreadful and terrifying display of magical illusion—showing how, in war, deception and supernatural stratagems can cloud discernment and intensify violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how māyā (deceptive power) can overwhelm even a formidable warrior’s judgment in war, raising ethical awareness about stratagems that rely on confusion and fear rather than straightforward valor.
A Rakshasa leader, skilled in illusion, confounds Ashvatthama during combat and then intensifies the encounter by projecting a terrifying magical display on the battlefield.