Shloka 4

अभिमन्युना दुःशासनस्य ताडनम्

Abhimanyu’s Rebuke and Wounding of Duḥśāsana; Karṇa’s Counter-volley

Devanagari script

अभिमन्यु: कृतोत्साह: कृतोत्साहानरिंदमान्‌ | रथस्थो रथिन: सर्वास्तावकानभ्यवर्षयत्‌,अभिमन्यु युद्धके लिये उत्साहसे भरा था। वह रथपर बैठकर आपके उत्साहभरे शत्रुदमन समस्त रथारोहियोंपर बाणोंकी वर्षा करने लगा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

abhimanyuḥ kṛtotsāhaḥ kṛtotsāhān ariṃdamān |

rathastho rathinaḥ sarvāstāvakān abhyavarṣayat ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Abhimanyu, filled with ardour, from his chariot showered arrows upon all your chariot-warriors—those spirited, foe-subduing fighters—pressing them hard in the clash of arms. The scene underscores the warrior’s duty to meet force with disciplined courage, even amid the moral weight of fratricidal war.

Word by Word

• अभिमन्युः: Abhimanyu
• अभिमन्युः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिमन्यु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतोत्साहः: having roused/formed his zeal; full of enthusiasm
• कृतोत्साहः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतोत्साह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतोत्साहान्: the enthusiastic (ones)
• कृतोत्साहान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतोत्साह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अरिंदमान्: enemy-subduing (men)
• अरिंदमान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरिंदम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• रथस्थः: standing in/being on the chariot
• रथस्थः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रथस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रथिनः: chariot-warriors
• रथिनः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तावकान्: your (men); belonging to you
• तावकान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अभ्यवर्षयत्: rained upon; showered (with arrows)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + √वृष्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Abhimanyu
• Kaurava chariot-warriors (tāvakāḥ rathinaḥ)
• Chariot (ratha)
• Arrows (implied by abhyavarṣayat)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: disciplined zeal (utsāha) and steadfastness in battle. Even in a morally fraught war, a warrior is portrayed as obligated to act with courage and effectiveness rather than hesitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Abhimanyu, mounted on his chariot and brimming with resolve, launches a fierce arrow-shower against the Kaurava chariot-fighters, driving the combat forward with aggressive momentum.