Shloka 18
Droṇa’s Defensive Stand and Abhimanyu Commissioned to Breach the Cakravyūha (द्रोणानीक-प्रतिरोधः; सौभद्र-नियोजनम्)
पौत्रं तव पुरस्कृत्य लक्ष्मणं प्रियदर्शनम् । अन्योन्यसमदु:खास्ते अन्योन्यसमसाहसा:,उन्होंने आपके प्रियदर्शन पौत्र लक्ष्मणको आगे करके धावा किया था। उन सबने एक- दूसरेके दुःखको समान समझा था और वे परस्पर समानभावसे साहसी थे
pautraṁ tava puraskṛtya lakṣmaṇaṁ priyadarśanam | anyonyasama-duḥkhās te anyonyasama-sāhasāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Mereka meletakkan cucu tuanku, Lakṣmaṇa—yang elok dipandang—di barisan hadapan, lalu mara menyerbu. Mereka menganggap dukacita sesama mereka sebagai dukacita sendiri, dan sama-sama berani dalam saling menyokong.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical complexity of war: comradeship and shared empathy can strengthen collective courage. Such solidarity is morally powerful in itself, yet it can be harnessed for destructive aims, reminding readers to examine not only virtues like bravery and loyalty but also the cause they serve.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warriors advanced with Lakṣmaṇa at their head. They moved as a tightly bonded group—sharing one another’s grief and matching one another’s daring—suggesting a coordinated charge driven by mutual commitment.