Mahabharata 7.46.12 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 46, Shloka 12

अभिमन्योरावरणम्

Encirclement and counter-strikes of Abhimanyu

Devanagari script

अत्यन्तसुखसंवृद्ध॑ धनेश्वरसुतोपमम्‌ । आससाद रणे कार्ष्ण्मित्तो मत्तमिव द्विपम्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | atyantasukhasaṃvṛddhaṃ dhaneśvarasutopamam | āsasāda raṇe pārthaḥ (vā) mṛttaṃ mattam iva dvipam, rājan ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Tâu Đại vương, Lakṣmaṇa—cháu nội của ngài, dung mạo ưa nhìn và khó bề khuất phục—đứng gần cha mình, tay giương cung sẵn sàng. Được nuôi lớn trong nhung lụa, chàng trông như con của Kubera, Chúa Tể Tài Bảo. Rồi giữa trận tiền, con trai của Arjuna xông thẳng vào Lakṣmaṇa—như voi đực đang kỳ động dục lao vào một con voi hùng mạnh khác.

Word by Word

• अत्यन्त: exceedingly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यन्त

• सुख: happiness, comfort
• सुख: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Locative (as prior member in compound), Singular

• संवृद्धम्: reared, brought up
• संवृद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संवृद्ध (सम् + √वृध्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धन: wealth
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (as prior member in compound), Singular

• ईश्वर: lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (as prior member in compound), Singular

• सुत: son
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (as prior member in compound), Singular

• उपमम्: like, comparable to
• उपमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आससाद: attacked, assailed, approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √सद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कार्ष्णिम्: the son of Kṛṣṇa (Pradyumna) / a Kṛṣṇa-descendant
• कार्ष्णिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्ष्णि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• मत्तम्: intoxicated, rut-mad
• मत्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• द्विपम्: elephant
• द्विपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Lakṣmaṇa (Duryodhana’s son)
• Duryodhana
• Arjuna’s son (Abhimanyu’s son Parīkṣit / or Arjuna’s son as per narration)
• Kubera (Dhaneśvara)
• bow (dhanus)
• elephant (dvipa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts princely comfort with the harsh equality of the battlefield: status and luxurious upbringing may shape appearance and confidence, but in war one’s mettle is proven only through direct encounter and courage, aligning with kṣatriya-dharma’s demand for steadfastness under trial.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Lakṣmaṇa, Duryodhana’s son, standing near his father with bow raised, appearing splendid like Kubera’s son; then Arjuna’s son rushes to attack him, compared to a maddened elephant charging another elephant.