Shloka 20
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सात्यकि-अलम्बुसयोर्युद्धवर्णनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue; Account of Sātyaki vs Alambusa
नानाविधानि सैन्यानि तव हत्वा तु सात्वतः । प्रविष्टस्तावकं सैन्यं द्रावयित्वा चमूं भूशम्,इस प्रकार आपकी नाना प्रकारकी सेनाओंका संहार करके तथा बहुत-से सैनिकोंको भगाकर सात्यकि आपकी सेनाके भीतर घुस गये
nānāvidhāni sainyāni tava hatvā tu sātvatāḥ | praviṣṭas tāvakaṃ sainyaṃ drāvayitvā camūṃ bhūśam ||
Sañjaya said: After slaying many kinds of your troops, the Sātvata warrior (Sātyaki) forced his way into your army; having routed the host and driven the soldiers into flight, he pressed on through the battlefield. The report underscores the grim ethic of kṣatriya-war: prowess is measured by breaking enemy formations, yet the cost is the destruction and panic of countless men.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of decisive action in war—breaking enemy ranks and causing a rout—while implicitly reminding the listener of war’s moral weight: victory is narrated through slaughter and the terror of fleeing soldiers.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Sātyaki, after killing many of the Kaurava troops, penetrated deep into their formation and scattered the host, sending many warriors running.