Shloka 9
Chapter 12: Arjuna’s suppression of the Saṃśaptakas and duel with Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi
रथा रथैरविमथिता मत्ता मन्तैद्विपा द्विपै: सादिन: सादिभिश्लैव तस्मिन् परमसंकुले,धृष्टद्युम्न: कृपेणाथ तस्मिन् वीरवरक्षये । शिखण्डी कृतवर्माणं समासादयदच्युतम् बड़े-बड़े वीरोंका संहार करनेवाले उस संग्राममें धृष्टद्युम्न कृपाचार्यके साथ युद्ध करने लगे और शिखण्डी कभी पीछे न हटनेवाले कृतवर्मासे भिड़ गया
sañjaya uvāca | rathā rathair avimathitā mattā mantair dvipā dvipaiḥ sādinaḥ sādibhiś caiva tasmin paramasaṅkule | dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ kṛpeṇātha tasmin vīravarakṣaye | śikhaṇḍī kṛtavarmāṇaṃ samāsādayad acyutam ||
Sanjaya said: In that supremely confused melee—where chariots crashed against chariots, maddened elephants were driven back by opposing elephants, and horsemen clashed with horsemen—Dhrishtadyumna engaged Kripa in battle amid the slaughter of great heroes. Shikhandi, unyielding, closed in to fight Kritavarma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim ethical tension of kṣatriya-dharma: even revered elders and famed heroes are drawn into relentless combat, and the battlefield’s chaos magnifies the cost of violence and the weight of duty-bound action.
Sanjaya describes a densely packed, chaotic battle where chariots, elephants, and cavalry collide. In this turmoil, Dhrishtadyumna fights Kripa, while Shikhandi advances to engage Kritavarma.