Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 27
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्
The Tumult of Battle Described
तस्मिन् क्षणे सात्यकि: सत्यसंध: शिनिप्रवीरो5भ्यपतत् पितामहम् । निष्नन्नमित्रान् धनुषा दृढेन संकम्पयंस्तव पुत्रस्य सैन्यम्
tasmin kṣaṇe sātyakiḥ satyasaṃdhaḥ śinipravīro 'bhyapatat pitāmaham | niṣnann amitrān dhanuṣā dṛḍhena saṃkampayaṃs tava putrasya sainyam ||
At that very moment, Sātyaki—true to his vow, the foremost hero of the Śini line—rushed straight at the Grandsire Bhīṣma. With his firm bow he cut down foes, and by his assault he made your son’s army tremble—showing how, in the heat of war, steadfast resolve and lineage-pride drive warriors to challenge even the most revered elders on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its battlefield form: unwavering commitment to one’s vow and duty can compel a warrior to confront even a revered elder like Bhīṣma. It also underscores the ethical tension of war—reverence does not remove the obligation to fight when one has taken a side in a righteous conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Sātyaki, a leading Śini warrior allied with the Pāṇḍavas, suddenly charges Bhīṣma. As he advances, he slays enemy fighters with his strong bow and shakes the Kaurava army (Duryodhana’s forces) by the force of his attack.
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