Shloka 55
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सात्यकि-अलम्बुसयोर्युद्धवर्णनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue; Account of Sātyaki vs Alambusa
व्यसृजद् विशिखांस्तूर्ण शतशो5थ सहसत्रश: । सरथं कृतवर्माणं समन्तात् पर्यवारयत्,तदनन्तर दूसरे सुदृढ़ धनुषको अच्छी तरह खींचकर सात्यकिने तुरंत ही सैकड़ों और हजारों बाणोंकी वर्षा की और रथसहित कृतवर्माको सब ओरसे ढक दिया
vyasṛjad viśikhāṁs tūrṇaṁ śataśo ’tha sahasraśaḥ | sa-rathaṁ kṛtavarmāṇaṁ samantāt paryavārayat ||
Sañjaya said: Sātyaki swiftly released barbed arrows—by the hundreds and then by the thousands—and from every side he hemmed in Kṛtavarmā, covering him along with his chariot. The scene underscores the relentless momentum of battle, where martial skill and resolve can momentarily overwhelm an opponent, even as the larger struggle continues to test restraint and righteousness amid violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, skill and determination can decisively shift the immediate balance; ethically, it also reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between necessary martial duty (kṣatriya-dharma) and the destructive intensity that battle unleashes.
Sañjaya narrates that Sātyaki rapidly shoots a massive volley of arrows and surrounds Kṛtavarmā on all sides, effectively blanketing him and his chariot with missiles.