Shloka 303
Bhūriśravas–Sātyaki Saṃvāda and Duel; Arjuna’s Intervention (भूरिश्रवाः–सात्यकि संवादः, युद्धम्, अर्जुन-हस्तक्षेपः)
यत्त: सम्प्रापयन्नागं रजताश्वरथं प्रति । उस गजसेनाके नष्ट होनेपर महाबली जलसंध युद्धके लिये उद्यत हो श्वेत घोड़ोंवाले सात्यकिके रथके समीप अपना हाथी ले आया
yattaḥ samprāpayannāgaṃ rajatāśvarathaṃ prati | tasya gajasenāyā naṣṭāyāṃ mahābalī jalasandhaḥ yuddhāya udyataḥ śvetāśvarathasya sātyakeḥ rathasya samīpam ātmānaṃ nāgam ānayat |
Sañjaya said: When his elephant-troop had been destroyed, the mighty Jalasandha, eager for battle, drove his elephant forward toward the chariot drawn by white horses—Sātyaki’s car—closing in to engage him directly. The scene underscores the relentless momentum of war: even after the loss of supporting forces, a warrior’s resolve propels him into single combat, where courage and duty are tested amid escalating violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior ethic under kṣatriya-dharma: even after losing supporting forces, a fighter may press on with personal resolve. Ethically, it also points to the tragic logic of war—loss intensifies confrontation, drawing combatants into direct, high-stakes encounters.
Sañjaya describes Jalasandha advancing his war-elephant toward Sātyaki’s chariot drawn by white horses. This occurs after Jalasandha’s elephant-troop has been destroyed, and he now seeks direct combat by closing in on Sātyaki.