Shloka 18
भीष्मवधाय प्रयाणम् — The Advance toward Bhīṣma and Counter-Engagements
अथाभिमन्युं समरे भीमसेनेन संगतम् । पार्षतेन च सम्प्रेक्ष्य तव सैन्ये महारथा:,इधर, उस समरभूमिमें अभिमन्युको भीमसेन तथा धृष्टद्युम्नससे मिला हुआ देख आपकी सेनाके दुर्योधन आदि महारथी हाथोंमें धनुष लिये अत्यन्त वेगशाली अअश्रोंद्वारा वहाँ जा पहुँचे, जहाँ वे बारह पाण्डवपक्षीय महारथी विद्यमान थे
athābhimanyuṃ samare bhīmasenena saṅgatam | pārṣatena ca samprekṣya tava sainye mahārathāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian, melihat Abhimanyu di medan perang bertempur bersama Bhīmasena dan Pārṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna), para maharatha dalam bala tentera tuanku mara pantas, busur di tangan, menuju ke tempat para pahlawan pihak Pāṇḍava berdiri.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring ethical tension in the Mahābhārata: martial duty (kṣatriya-dharma) demands swift response to battlefield developments, yet such responses also intensify violence. It shows how alliances and perceived threats drive collective action, reminding readers that war amplifies both courage and the momentum of retaliation.
Sañjaya reports that Kaurava-side elite warriors, noticing Abhimanyu engaged alongside Bhīma and Dhṛṣṭadyumna, surge forward with bows ready, converging on the location where the Pāṇḍava champions are positioned—signaling an imminent clash of leading fighters.