Shloka 373
अभिमन्युवधः
Abhimanyu’s Fall and the Battlefield Aftermath
क्षुरप्रेण महातेजास्त्वरमाण: सपत्नजित् | उस समय शत्रुओंपर विजय पानेवाले महातेजस्वी द्रोणाचार्यने शीघ्रता करते हुए एक क्षुप्रके द्वारा अभिमन्युकी मुद्ठीमें स्थित हुए मणिमय मूठसे युक्त खड़गको काट डाला
sañjaya uvāca | kṣurapreṇa mahātejās tvaramāṇaḥ sapatnajit |
Sañjaya said: The mighty and radiant Droṇācārya, eager to secure victory over his foes, swiftly struck with a razor-headed arrow and severed Abhimanyu’s sword—its hilt set with gems—while it was still clenched in his fist. The episode underscores the ruthless precision of battlefield skill, where disabling an opponent’s weapon becomes a decisive act amid the larger moral tragedy of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a dharmic framework of warfare, tactical acts like disabling an opponent’s weapon can be decisive; yet the scene also highlights the moral tension of war, where superior skill is used to overpower a valiant but outmatched warrior.
Sañjaya narrates that Droṇa, moving quickly, uses a kṣurapra to cut off Abhimanyu’s gem-hilted sword while Abhimanyu is still gripping it, leaving him disarmed in the midst of battle.