Shloka 59
Śalya–Bhīma Gadāyuddham (मद्रराज-भीमसेन गदायुद्धम्)
स पौरवरथस्येषामाप्लुत्य सहसा नदन् । पौरवं रथमास्थाय केशपक्षे परामृशत्,तब अभिमन्यु सहसा गर्जता हुआ उछलकर पौरवके रथके ईषादण्डपर चढ़ गया। फिर उसने पौरवकी चुटिया पकड़ ली
sa pauravarathasyeṣām āplutya sahasā nadan | pauravaṁ ratham āsthāya keśapakṣe parāmṛśat ||
Roaring suddenly, he sprang onto the pole of the Paurava’s chariot. Then, mounting that chariot, he seized the Paurava by his hair-knot—an audacious act of close-quarters dominance amid the chaos of battle, meant to unnerve the foe and assert mastery rather than to follow the usual chariot-war decorum.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, courage and initiative can manifest as sudden, decisive close-quarters action; it also raises ethical tension between effective tactics and the customary decorum of chariot warfare, reminding readers that battlefield success often tests the boundaries of accepted conduct.
Sañjaya describes Abhimanyu abruptly leaping onto the pole of an enemy (Paurava) chariot, climbing onto it, and grabbing the opponent by the hair-knot—an aggressive maneuver intended to overpower and intimidate at very close range.