Shloka 143

Adhyāya 40 (Book 7, Droṇa-parva): Abhimanyu’s Rapid Advance and Battlefield Disruption

Devanagari script

रणमध्यादपोवाह सौभद्रशरपीडितम्‌ | तब अभिमन्युके बाणोंसे पीड़ित एवं अचेत हुए दुःशासनको सारथि बड़ी उतावलीके साथ युद्धस्थलसे बाहर हटा ले गया

Transliteration

raṇamadhyād apovāha saubhadra-śara-pīḍitam | tadābhimanyu-ke bāṇaiḥ pīḍitam acetanaṁ duḥśāsanaṁ sārathiḥ baḍī utāvalī-ke sātha yuddhasthalāt bahiḥ haṭā le gayā |

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ରଣମଧ୍ୟରୁ ହିଁ ସୌଭଦ୍ର (ଅଭିମନ୍ୟୁ)ଙ୍କ ବାଣରେ ପୀଡିତ ଦୁଃଶାସନଙ୍କୁ ସାରଥି ତ୍ୱରାନ୍ୱିତ ହୋଇ ଅପସାରଣ କରିନେଲେ। ଅଭିମନ୍ୟୁଙ୍କ ଶରରେ ସେ ଅଚେତ ହୋଇଥିଲେ; ତେଣୁ ଉତ୍କଣ୍ଠିତ ସାରଥି ତାଙ୍କୁ ଯୁଦ୍ଧକ୍ଷେତ୍ରରୁ ବାହାରକୁ ନେଇଗଲେ।

Word by Word

रणin battle

मध्यात्from the middle

अपोवाहcarried away / removed

सौभद्रof Saubhadra (Abhimanyu)

शरby arrows

पीडितम्afflicted / tormented

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Abhimanyu (Saubhadra)

Duḥśāsana

Charioteer (sārathi)

Battlefield (raṇa/yuddhasthala)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid relentless warfare, conduct is shaped by immediate duty: when a warrior is rendered unconscious, the practical and ethical response is to remove him from danger. The verse highlights the charioteer’s responsibility to preserve life and withdraw an incapacitated combatant rather than pursue reckless continuation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Abhimanyu (Saubhadra) strikes Duḥśāsana with arrows so severely that Duḥśāsana becomes senseless. Seeing this, Duḥśāsana’s charioteer quickly drives him out from the midst of the battle to safety.