Shloka 28
भीष्म-युधिष्ठिर-संमर्दः
Bhīṣma’s Pressure on Yudhiṣṭhira; Śikhaṇḍī’s Approach; Evening Withdrawal
विकर्णस्य ततो भल््लान् प्रेषयामास भारत । चतुर्दश रथश्रेष्ठो घोरानाशीविषोपमान्
sañjaya uvāca | vikārṇasya tato bhallān preṣayāmāsa bhārata | caturdaśa rathaśreṣṭho ghorān āśīviṣopamān |
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Pagkaraan, O Bharata, si Abhimanyu—ang pinakadakila sa mga mandirigmang karwahe—ay nagpadala ng labing-apat na kakila-kilabot na palasong bhalla laban kay Vikarna, na wari’y mga makamandag na ahas. Sa mga palasong iyon ay ibinagsak niya ang watawat, ang sais, at ang mga kabayo ng karwahe ni Vikarna; at sa sandaling yaon, kumikilos siya sa digmaan na tila sumasayaw—nagpapakita ng walang takot na paghahari sa gitna ng lagim ng labanan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma as disciplined courage and skill under extreme danger, while also underscoring the grave moral weight of war: prowess can be dazzling (‘as if dancing’), yet it is exercised through lethal acts that bring swift consequences to men and animals alike.
Abhimanyu, described as a foremost chariot-warrior, shoots fourteen terrifying bhalla-arrows at Vikarna. The attack disables Vikarna’s chariot by bringing down its banner, charioteer, and horses, while Abhimanyu maneuvers with striking agility in the midst of combat.