Shloka 25

भीष्म-युधिष्ठिर-संमर्दः

Bhīṣma’s Pressure on Yudhiṣṭhira; Śikhaṇḍī’s Approach; Evening Withdrawal

Devanagari script

वज़मृत्युप्रतीकाशैर्विचित्रायुधनि:सृतै: । अमृष्यमाणास्ते सर्वे सौभद्रंं रथसत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

vajamṛtyupratīkāśair vicitrāyudhaniḥsṛtaiḥ | amṛṣyamāṇās te sarve saubhadraṃ rathasattamam ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—വജ്രംപോലെ ദീപ്തവും മരണസ്വരൂപംപോലെ തോന്നുന്നതുമായ നാനാവിധ ആയുധങ്ങളുടെ മഴ വിട്ട്, അവനെ സഹിക്കാനാവാതെ ആ എല്ലാ യോദ്ധാക്കളും രഥശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ സൗഭദ്രൻ (അഭിമന്യു) മേൽ പാഞ്ഞുകയറി.

Word by Word

वज्रमृत्युप्रतीकाशैःwith (weapons) resembling thunderbolt and death

विचित्रायुधin/among varied weapons

निःसृतैःshot forth, discharged

अमृष्यमाणाःunable to endure, intolerant

तेthey

सर्वेall

सौभद्रम्the son of Subhadrā (Abhimanyu)

रथसत्तमम्the best of chariot-warriors

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Saubhadra (Abhimanyu)

weapons (āyudha)

chariot-warrior (rathasattama)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how intolerance of excellence (amṛṣyamāṇāḥ) can lead to collective escalation in violence. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical lens, war tests character: resentment and envy can eclipse restraint, pushing warriors toward ever more lethal means.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a moment in battle where many fighters, unable to bear Saubhadra’s prowess, discharge a variety of deadly weapons at him—so fearsome they seem like death itself—marking an intense, concentrated assault on Abhimanyu.