Shloka 76
अभिमन्यु-पराक्रमवर्णनम्
Abhimanyu’s Prowess and the Duḥśāsana Engagement
वायुनेव महाशैल: सम्भग्नोडमिततेजसा । तब शीघ्रतापूर्वक हाथ चलानेवाले अर्जुनकुमारने अपने सायकोंद्वारा शल्यके भाईके मस्तक, ग्रीवा, हाथ, पैर, धनुष, अश्व, छत्र, ध्वज, सारथि, त्रिवेणु, तल्प (शय्या), पहिये, जूआ, तरकश, अनुकर्ष, पताका, चक्ररक्षक तथा अन्य समस्त उपकरणोंको काट डाला। उस समय कोई भी उसे देख न सका। जैसे वायुके वेगसे कोई महान् पर्वत टूटकर गिर पड़े, उसी प्रकार अमिततेजस्वी अभिमन्युका मारा हुआ वह शल्यराजका भाई छिन्न-भिन्न होकर पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा। उसके वस्त्र और आभूषणोंके टुकड़े-टुकड़े हो गये थे
sañjaya uvāca | vāyunā iva mahāśailaḥ sambhagnaḥ adbhuta-tejasā | tataḥ śīghratā-pūrvaka-hasta-cālanavān arjuna-kumāraḥ svaiḥ sāyakaiḥ śalya-bhrātuḥ mastakaṃ grīvāṃ hastān pādān dhanuḥ aśvān chatraṃ dhvajaṃ sārathiṃ triveṇuṃ talpaṃ cakraṃ yugaṃ tarakaśaṃ anukarṣaṃ patākāṃ cakra-rakṣakaṃ ca anyāni sarvāṇi upakaraṇāni acchinat | tadā kaścid api taṃ na dadarśa | yathā vāyu-vegena mahān parvataḥ bhagnaḥ nipatet tathā amitā-tejā abhimanyunā hataḥ sa śalya-rājasya bhrātā chinna-bhinnaḥ pṛthivyāṃ papāta | tasya vastrāṇi ābharaṇāni ca khaṇḍa-khaṇḍāni abhavan |
Sanjaya said: Like a great mountain shattered by the wind, the brother of King Shalya—struck down by the wondrously radiant Abhimanyu—was broken apart. Then Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, moving his hands with lightning speed, severed with his arrows the man’s head, neck, hands, feet, bow, horses, parasol, banner, charioteer, the triple yoke/bridle-gear, the chariot-bed, wheels, yoke, quiver, the reins/draw-strap, pennants, wheel-guards, and every other piece of equipment. In that moment no one could even see him clearly. Thus, as a mountain collapses under the force of the wind, Shalya’s brother—cut to pieces—fell to the earth, his garments and ornaments torn into fragments.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the terrifying efficiency of martial skill when driven by kshatriya duty: in war, prowess can become so overwhelming that it appears almost superhuman, yet its ethical weight is shown through the total destruction of life and royal insignia—reminding the listener that glory and violence are inseparable on the battlefield.
Sanjaya describes Abhimanyu’s rapid assault: with a storm of arrows he dismembers Shalya’s brother and simultaneously destroys the chariot system—horses, driver, weapons, banners, and fittings—so swiftly that observers cannot track his movements; the enemy falls to the ground in pieces, with clothes and ornaments torn apart.