Mahabharata · 7.33.11
॥
Devanāgarī
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
अभिमन्युम् अहं सूत सौभद्रम् अपराजितम् ॥
श्रोतुम् इच्छामि कार्त्स्न्येन कथम् आयोधने हतः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
abhimanyum ahaṃ sūta saubhadram aparājitam ||
śrotum icchāmi kārtsnyena katham āyodhane hataḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अभिमन्युम्abhimanyumAbhimanyu; [about] Abhimanyu
अहम्ahamI; I
सूतsūtaO suta [Sanjaya]; O storyteller
सौभद्रम्saubhadramson of Subhadra; son of Subhadra
अपराजितम्aparājitamunconquered [unconquerable]; unconquered
श्रोतुम् इच्छामिśrotum icchāmiI wish to hear; I wish to hear
कार्त्स्न्येनkārtsnyenafully [entirely]; entirely
कथम्kathamhow; how
आयोधनेāyodhanein battle [on the field]; in battle
हतःhataḥwas slain [struck down]; struck down
Translation
"About Abhimanyu, O storyteller, son of Subhadra, unconquered, I wish to hear in full -- how he was struck down in battle."
Version
6bfb5f6d3e9d · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:22:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhritarashtra calls Abhimanyu "unconquered" -- and in the same breath asks how he was slain: the very combination of words holds all the bitterness. The unconquered could not be overcome fairly -- and so the "how?" in his question sounds not like curiosity but like the perplexity of conscience. It is significant that he wishes to hear it "in full": the truth of an unrighteous deed must be known to the end. The verse teaches that there are deaths whose very report demands an explanation, for they contradict nature -- the unconquered should not have fallen; that the wish to learn the truth to the end, however bitter, is honesty of heart; and that in the very question "how was the unconquered slain?" a judgment is already contained upon the manner in which it was done -- for by a fair path the unconquered are not taken.