Shloka 25
Abhimanyu-śravaṇa-prastāva and Cakravyūha-vinyāsa
Prelude to Abhimanyu’s Account and the Wheel-Formation Deployment
बिभित्सता रथानीकं सौभद्रेणामितौजसा । विक्रीडितं यथा संख्ये तन््ममाचक्ष्व संजय,संजय! अमित तेजस्वी सुभद्राकुमारने युद्धके मैदानमें रथियोंकी सेनाको विदीर्ण करनेकी इच्छासे जिस प्रकार युद्धका खेल किया था, वह सब मुझे बताओ
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
bibhitsatā rathānīkaṃ saubhadreṇāmitaujasā |
vikrīḍitaṃ yathā saṅkhye tan mamācakṣva sañjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “O Sañjaya, tell me in full how the mighty son of Subhadrā, driven by the desire to shatter the host of chariot-warriors, sported in the thick of battle—as though war itself were his play.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary martial prowess can make battle appear like a ‘game,’ yet it also implicitly raises the ethical tension of war: even when a warrior acts according to kṣatriya-dharma (valor, initiative, breaking enemy ranks), the consequences are grave, and the narration invites reflection on the thin line between heroic skill and the tragic reality of violence.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya to describe Abhimanyu’s actions on the battlefield—specifically, how Abhimanyu, the powerful son of Subhadrā, sought to split the enemy’s chariot-host and fought with such mastery that it seemed like playful sport amid combat.