Shloka 22

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ७२: सैन्यगुणवर्णनम्, व्यूहरक्षा, दैव-पुरुषकारचिन्ता

Devanagari script

सात्यकिस्तु ततो द्रोणं वारयामास भारत | तयो: प्रववृते युद्ध घोररूपं भयावहम्‌,भारत! उस समय सात्यकिने आगे बढ़कर द्रोणाचार्यको रोका। फिर तो उन दोनोंमें अत्यन्त भयंकर युद्ध आरम्भ हो गया

Transliteration

sātyakis tu tato droṇaṃ vārayāmāsa bhārata | tayoḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ ghorarūpaṃ bhayāvaham ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Sātyaki stepped forward and checked Droṇa, O Bhārata. Between those two a battle began—terrible in form and fraught with fear.

Word by Word

सात्यकिःSatyaki

तुbut/indeed

ततःthen/from there

द्रोणम्Drona

वारयामासstopped/checked

भारतO Bharata

तयोःof those two

प्रववृतेarose/began

युद्धम्battle

घोररूपम्of dreadful form

भयावहम्bringing fear/terrifying

भारतO Bharata

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

सात्यकि (Sātyaki)

द

द्रोण (Droṇa)

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

ध

धृतराष्ट्र (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied by address 'Bhārata')

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the grim reality of dharma in wartime: warriors act according to their pledged allegiance and role, even when it leads to terrifying violence. It underscores how duty (svadharma) can compel direct confrontation between eminent figures, making the battlefield a place where ethical tension and fear are unavoidable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki advances to stop Droṇa’s progress. As a result, a fierce and frightening duel erupts between Sātyaki and Droṇa, marking an intense escalation in the ongoing Kurukṣetra battle.