Shloka 8
अभिमन्योर् दारुणः संमर्दः
Abhimanyu’s fierce melee amid chariot formations
द्रुपदं पज्चभिस्ती3्ष्णै: सप्तभिश्न शिखण्डिनम् | केकयान् पज्चविंशत्या द्रौपदेयांस्त्रिभिस्त्रिभि:
drupadaṁ pañcabhiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥ saptabhiś ca śikhaṇḍinam | kekayān pañcaviṁśatyā draupadeyāṁs tribhis tribhiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: With five sharp arrows he struck Drupada; with seven he struck Śikhaṇḍin. He also struck the Kekayas with twenty-five arrows, and the sons of Draupadī with three arrows each—showing the relentless, methodical precision of battle where even renowned allies and youthful heirs are not spared.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the impartial harshness of war: lineage, reputation, and alliance do not shield anyone once battle is joined. It implicitly invites reflection on kṣatriya-duty and the moral cost of conflict, where skill and resolve can become instruments of widespread suffering.
Sañjaya reports a sequence of precise strikes in the battle: Drupada is hit with five sharp arrows, Śikhaṇḍin with seven, the Kekaya contingent with twenty-five, and each of Draupadī’s sons with three arrows—depicting a warrior’s rapid, targeted assault on key Pāṇḍava allies.