द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय 128: दुर्योधनस्य परसेनाप्रवेशः
Duryodhana’s Incursion and the Tumult of Battle
तमपश्यन्महाबाहुमहं विन्दामि कश्मलम् | पार्थे तस्मिन् हते चैव युध्यते नूनमग्रणी:,“उन महाबाहु सात्यकिको न देखनेके कारण भी मैं भारी घबराहटमें पड़ गया हूँ। पार्थके मारे जानेपर अवश्य ही सात्यकि भी आगे होकर युद्ध कर रहे हैं
tam apaśyan mahābāhum ahaṁ vindāmi kaśmalam | pārthe tasmin hate caiva yudhyate nūnam agraṇīḥ ||
«لأنني لا أرى ذلك البطل عظيم الساعدين، فقد استولت عليّ الحيرة والفزع. وإن كان بارثا (أرجونا) قد قُتل حقًّا، فلا ريب أن القائد (ساتيَكي) يقاتل في المقدّمة.»
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights how quickly fear and moral-mental confusion (kaśmala) can arise in war when a key protector is not seen and when news of a principal hero’s death is suspected; it also underscores the ethical weight of leadership—true leaders press forward even amid catastrophic uncertainty.
Sañjaya reports his alarm at not seeing the mighty-armed Sātyaki. He infers that if Arjuna (Pārtha) has been killed, then Sātyaki, as a foremost leader, must be fighting at the very front—implying a desperate, intensified phase of battle.