Shloka 196
Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
अभिमन्यु विनिर्भिद्य प्राविशन््त धरातलम् | उसके द्वारा छोड़े हुए यमदण्डके समान भयंकर एवं तीखे बाण अभिमन्युके शरीरको छेदकर धरतीमें समा गये
abhimanyuṁ vinirbhidya prāviśan dharātalam | tasya mukta iva yamadaṇḍa-sadṛśā bhayaṅkarāḥ tīkṣṇāś ca bāṇāḥ abhimanyor śarīraṁ chittvā pṛthivyāṁ samāgatāḥ |
三阇耶说道：箭矢贯穿阿毗曼纽，继而没入大地。那些箭——可怖而锋利，宛如阎摩之杖掷出时的杀威——撕裂阿毗曼纽的身躯，沉入土中，显出战斗的无情酷烈，也显出一位少年战士在染着非正法之战里所付出的悲惨代价。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral gravity of violence in war: even when framed by kṣatriya duty, the spectacle of a young hero being pierced evokes reflection on dharma in combat, the limits of righteous warfare, and the tragic consequences when battle turns merciless.
Sañjaya describes arrows that pass through Abhimanyu’s body and plunge into the earth. The comparison to Yama’s rod intensifies the sense of fatal force, indicating that Abhimanyu is being struck with death-dealing weapons amid a fierce engagement.