Chapter 12: Arjuna’s suppression of the Saṃśaptakas and duel with Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi
युधामन्युरथं तूर्णमारुरोह परंतप: । रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ शत्रुदमन रणशूर सात्यकि विन्दका वध करके तुरंत ही युधामन्युके रथपर चढ़ गये
yudhāmanyur athaṁ tūrṇam āruroha parantapaḥ | rathīnāṁ śreṣṭhaḥ śatrudamana raṇaśūraḥ sātyakiḥ vindakāṁ vadhaṁ kṛtvā tūrṇam eva yudhāmanyo ratham āruroha ||
Sañjaya sprach: Dann bestieg Yudhāmanyu, der Feinde versengt, eilends seinen Wagen. Und Sātyaki—der Vortrefflichste unter den Wagenkämpfern, Bezwinger der Gegner und Held des Schlachtfeldes—stieg, nachdem er Vindaka erschlagen hatte, unverzüglich auf Yudhāmanyus Streitwagen.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights kṣatriya conduct in wartime: swift resolve, courage, and solidarity with allies. Ethically, it shows how loyalty and protection of one’s side are enacted through immediate, decisive action, even as the narrative acknowledges the harsh reality of lethal conflict.
Sañjaya reports rapid movements on the battlefield: Yudhāmanyu mounts his chariot, and Sātyaki—after killing the warrior Vindaka—quickly boards Yudhāmanyu’s chariot, indicating coordination and continued engagement in the fight.