Shloka 1

अभिमन्यु-पराक्रमवर्णनम्

Abhimanyu’s Prowess and the Duḥśāsana Engagement

Devanagari script

््-्अ ्ःः बछ। अप ऋाञ अष्टात्रिशो& ध्याय: अभिमन्युके द्वारा शल्यके भाईका वध तथा द्रोणाचार्यकी रथसेनाका पलायन धृतराष्ट उवाच तथा प्रमथमानं तं महेष्वासानजिदह्ागै: । आर्जुनिं मामका: संख्ये के त्वेने समवारयन्‌,धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! अर्जुनकुमार अभिमन्यु जब इस प्रकार अपने बाणोंद्वारा बड़े-बड़े धनुर्धरोंको मथ रहा था, उस समय मेरे पक्षके किन योद्धाओंने उसे युद्धमें रोका था?

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | tathā pramathamānaṃ taṃ maheṣvāsān ajidbhāgaiḥ | ārjunīṃ māmakāḥ saṅkhye ke tv enaṃ samavārayan ||

Translation

ಧೃತರಾಷ್ಟ್ರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಸಂಜಯಾ! ಅರ್ಜುನನ ಪುತ್ರ ಅಭಿಮನ್ಯು ತನ್ನ ಬಾಣಗಳಿಂದ ಮಹಾಧನುರ್ಧರರನ್ನು ಮಥಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಗ, ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ನನ್ನ ಪಕ್ಷದ ಯಾವ ಯಾವ ಯೋಧರು ಅವನನ್ನು ತಡೆದು ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿದರು?

Word by Word

• तथा: thus/and then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• प्रमथमानम्: crushing/harassing
• प्रमथमानम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रमथ्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महेष्वासान्: great bowmen
• महेष्वासान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अजिघांसैः: desirous of killing
• अजिघांसैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अजिघांसु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आर्जुनिम्: Arjuna's son (Abhimanyu)
• आर्जुनिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्जुनि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मामकाः: my (men), my side's
• मामकाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मामक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• संख्ये: in battle
• संख्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• के: who?
• के: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• त्वेनम्: him (that one)
• त्वेनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद् + एनम्
• Form: sandhi form; effectively 'त्वम्' (you) + 'एनम्' (him) in context of address; often read as 'त्वेनम्' = 'त्वम् एनम्', Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समवारयन्: checked/held back
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + वṛ (वारयति)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sañjaya
• Abhimanyu
• Arjuna
• Kauravas (māmakāḥ)
• Great archers (maheṣvāsāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral tension of war: extraordinary valor can arise even in a tragic cause, and leaders must face responsibility for the consequences of their side’s choices. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s anxious inquiry reflects attachment and partiality (māmakāḥ), which in the epic repeatedly clouds ethical judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya to identify which Kaurava warriors confronted and restrained Abhimanyu when Abhimanyu was overpowering renowned archers with his arrows on the battlefield.