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 ||
サञ्जयは言った。鋭い五矢でドルパダを、七矢でシカンディンを射た。さらにケーカヤ勢を二十五矢で射、ドラウパディーの子らを一人につき三矢ずつ射て—名高き味方も若き後継も容赦せぬ、戦の執拗で周到な精密さを示した。
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.