Shloka 21
अभिमन्यु-परिवेष्टनम्
Encirclement and Counterassault of Abhimanyu
ते हन्यमाना विवशा नानालिऊ्लेः शितै: शरै: । अभिपेतु: सुबहुश: शलभा इव पावकम्,नाना प्रकारके चिह्लोंसे सुशोभित पैने बाणोंकी मार खाकर वे बहुसंख्यक कौरववीर विवश हो धरतीपर गिर पड़े, मानो ढेर-के-ढेर फतिंगे जलती आगमें पड़ गये हों
te hanyamānā vivaśā nānāliṅgaiḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ | abhipetuḥ subahuśaḥ śalabhā iva pāvakam ||
Sañjaya said: Struck down by sharp arrows marked with many different emblems, the Kaurava warriors, helpless under the assault, fell in great numbers—like swarms of moths rushing into a blazing fire. The image underscores the terrible momentum of battle: when courage is severed by overwhelming force, even seasoned fighters are driven toward ruin as if by fate, revealing the ethical tragedy of war where valor and destruction become inseparable.
संजय उवाच