Shloka 23
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 37: Sañjaya’s Account of Abhimanyu’s Precision Disruption of a Chariot Contingent
ततस्तस्मिन् हते वीरे सौभद्रेणाश्मकेश्वरे
tatastasmīn hate vīre saubhadreṇāśmakeśvare
Sañjaya said: Then, when that heroic lord of the Aśmakas had been slain by Saubhadra, the course of the battle shifted under the weight of that decisive fall—an event that underscores how, in war, the death of a single leader can alter the morale and conduct of entire forces, even as each side remains bound to its chosen duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and practical weight of leadership in dharmic warfare: the fall of a principal warrior is not merely personal loss but a moral and strategic turning point that reshapes collective resolve and responsibility.
Sañjaya reports that Saubhadra (Abhimanyu) has slain the heroic ruler of the Aśmaka forces; this death serves as a pivot in the battle narrative, setting up the reactions and subsequent movements of the armies.