Shloka 543
Bhūriśravas–Sātyaki Saṃvāda and Duel; Arjuna’s Intervention (भूरिश्रवाः–सात्यकि संवादः, युद्धम्, अर्जुन-हस्तक्षेपः)
विमान पातयामास गजस्कन्धाद् विशाम्पते । प्रजानाथ! युद्धस्थलमें जलसंधको मारकर फुर्ती करनेवाले सात्यकिने हाथीकी पीठसे उसके हौदेको भी गिरा दिया
vimānaṁ pātayāmāsa gajaskandhād viśāmpate | prajānātha! yuddhasthale jala-sandhakaṁ mārakara phurtī karanevāle sātyakine hāthī-kī pīṭh se usake haudeko bhī girā diyā |
Sañjaya said: O lord of the people, Sātyaki—swift and resolute after slaying Jalasandhaka on the battlefield—struck down from the elephant’s back even the howdah, the fighting-platform. The scene shows how, in the crush of war, prowess and speed become decisive instruments, turning the very supports of an enemy’s position into targets.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Within the Mahābhārata’s war narrative, the verse highlights how martial excellence—speed, decisiveness, and tactical targeting—can overturn an opponent’s advantage. Ethically, it reflects the grim logic of battlefield dharma: once combat is joined, a warrior’s duty is to neutralize threats efficiently, even by destroying the enemy’s supports and protections.
Sañjaya reports to the king that Sātyaki, after killing the warrior Jalasandhaka, continues his rapid assault and knocks down the howdah (the fighting-platform) from an elephant’s back, intensifying the rout and demonstrating dominance in that encounter.