Shloka 93

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ९६: सौभद्रस्य आक्रमणम्, अलम्बुसस्य प्रतिविधानम्

Abhimanyu’s assault; Alambusa’s counter-engagement

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार चलनेवाले उस रोमांचकारी संग्राममें दुर्योधनकी विशाल सेना प्राय: युद्धसे विमुख होकर भाग गयी ।।

Transliteration

iti prakāraṃ calanavāle tasmin romāñcakāri saṅgrāme duryodhanasya viśālā senā prāyaḥ yuddhāt vimukhībhūya palāyitā | iti śrīmahābhārate bhīṣmaparvaṇi bhīṣmavadhaparvaṇi saṅkulyuddhe trinavatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ |

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ രോമാഞ്ചകരമായ ആ സംഘർഷം ഉഗ്രമായി നീങ്ങുമ്പോൾ ദുര്യോധനന്റെ മഹാസൈന്യം ധൈര്യം നഷ്ടപ്പെടുത്തി ഭൂരിഭാഗവും യുദ്ധത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുഖമായി ഓടിപ്പോയി. ഇങ്ങനെ ശ്രീമഹാഭാരതത്തിലെ ഭീഷ്മപർവത്തിൽ ഭീഷ്മവധപർവാന്തർഗതമായ ‘സങ്കുലയുദ്ധം’ എന്ന തൊണ്ണൂറ്റാറാം അധ്യായം സമാപ്തമായി.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'romāñcakāri', 'definition': 'thrilling, hair-raising

• causing horripilation (from intense fear/excitement)'}, {'term': 'saṅgrāma', 'definition': 'battle, armed conflict'}, {'term': 'viśālā senā', 'definition': 'a vast army/host'}, {'term': 'prāyaḥ', 'definition': 'for the most part, generally, almost'}, {'term': 'yuddhāt', 'definition': 'from battle

• away from fighting'}, {'term': 'vimukha (vimukhībhūya)', 'definition': 'turned away, averted

• becoming disinclined or withdrawing'}, {'term': 'palāyitā (palāy-)', 'definition': 'fled, ran away'}, {'term': 'saṅkula-yuddha', 'definition': 'a confused/entangled battle

• melee with disorder and intermingling'}, {'term': 'bhīṣma-parvan', 'definition': 'the book/section of the Mahābhārata centered on Bhīṣma and the early Kurukṣetra war'}, {'term': 'bhīṣma-vadha-parvan', 'definition': 'the sub-section dealing with the fall/slaying of Bhīṣma'}]

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Mahābhārata
• Bhīṣma Parva
• Bhīṣma-vadha Parva

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fear and loss of resolve can unravel even a large force; numbers alone do not sustain dharma in war—steadfastness, discipline, and leadership do.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that amid a chaotic and terrifying melee, Duryodhana’s troops largely lose the will to fight and retreat, marking the close of the chapter describing the confused battle.