Shloka 38
Kṛṣṇa-vīrya-kathana
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s appraisal of Vāsudeva’s deeds
सत्यं धृतिर्मति: शौर्य बाह्दां चास्त्रमनुत्तमम् सात्वते तानि सर्वाणि त्रैलोक्यमिव केशवे,जैसे भगवान् श्रीकृष्णमें तीनों लोक स्थित हैं, उसी प्रकार सात्वतवंशी सात्यकिमें सत्य, धैर्य, बुद्धि, शौर्य तथा परम उत्तम ब्रह्मास्त्र विद्यमान हैं
satyaṁ dhṛtir matiḥ śauryaṁ bāhūnāṁ cāstram anuttamam | sātvate tāni sarvāṇi trailokyam iva keśave ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Truthfulness, steadfastness, intelligence, valor, and an unsurpassed weapon of the arm—all these were present in Sātyaki of the Sātvata line, just as the three worlds abide in Keśava (Kṛṣṇa).”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that a righteous warrior’s excellence is not merely physical: truthfulness, mental steadiness, clear judgment, and courage must accompany power and weapon-skill. By comparing Sātyaki’s virtues to the three worlds abiding in Kṛṣṇa, it also implies that such integrated strength is sustained by alignment with a higher dharmic center (Keśava).
In the Drona Parva’s battle context, the narrator Vaiśampāyana highlights Sātyaki’s exceptional qualities and capability, elevating him as a key ally of the Pāṇḍavas. The comparison to Keśava functions as a poetic endorsement of Sātyaki’s reliability and potency in the unfolding war.