रथव्रजेन संरुद्धस् तैर् अमित्रैर् अथार्जुनिः ॥
वृषसेनस्य यन्तारं हत्वा चिच्छेद कार्मुकम् ॥
तस्य विव्याध बलवाञ् शरैर् अश्वान् अजिह्मगैः ॥
वातायमानैर् अथ तैर् अश्वैर् अपहृतो रणात् ॥
तेनान्तरेणाभिमन्योर् यन्तापासारयद् रथम् ॥
रथव्रजास् ततो हृष्टाः साधु साध्व् इति चुक्रुशुः ॥
rathavrajena saṃruddhas tair amitrair athārjuniḥ ||
vṛṣasenasya yantāraṃ hatvā ciccheda kārmukam ||
tasya vivyādha balavāñ śarair aśvān ajihmagaiḥ ||
vātāyamānair atha tair aśvair apahṛto raṇāt ||
tenāntareṇābhimanyor yantāpāsārayad ratham ||
rathavrajās tato hṛṣṭāḥ sādhu sādhv iti cukruśuḥ ||
Hemmed in by a line of chariots of those enemies, the son of Arjuna, having struck down Vrishasena's charioteer, shattered his bow as well. Mighty, he wounded Vrishasena's horses with straight-flying arrows; and, bolting, those horses carried him off the field of battle. Through that gap, Abhimanyu's charioteer drove the chariot forward; and the chariot-warriors, rejoicing, cried out: "Splendid, splendid!"
099c3a4d98e2 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:03 PM UTC
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Surrounded, the boy finds a way out: by depriving Vrishasena of his horses, he creates a "gap" through which his charioteer drives his chariot forward. Thus, in a hopeless ring, valor and quick wit find a breach. It is significant that even his own men [the Pandava chariot-warriors at a distance] cheer "splendid!" — the boy's feat is seen by all. The verse teaches that even in a tight ring of siege there is a loophole for one who acts with wit, turning the defeat of one enemy into his own passage; that a warrior's resourcefulness does not surrender before encirclement, but seeks and creates a way out; and that valor breaking even out of a trap calls forth an admiring "splendid!" — for there is no sight more gladdening than a spirit that will not submit to hopelessness.