Shloka 26
जयद्रथवधः — The Slaying of Jayadratha
Sunset Vow and Curse-Condition
सात्यकिरुवाच मुण्डानेतान् हनिष्यामि दानवानिव वासव:,सात्यकि बोले--सूत! जैसे इन्द्र दानवोंका वध करते हैं, उसी प्रकार आज मैं इन मथमुंडे काम्बोजोंका ही वध करूँगा और ऐसा करके अपनी प्रतिज्ञा पूर्ण कर लूँगा। अतः तुम उनन््हींकी ओर मुझे ले चलो। इन सबका संहार करके ही आज मैं अपने प्रिय सुहृद् पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनके पास चलूँगा
sūta uvāca | sātyakir uvāca—muṇḍān etān haniṣyāmi dānavān iva vāsavaḥ | tathā kṛtvā pratijñāṃ pūrayiṣyāmi | ataḥ tvam evān etān prati māṃ nayasva | eṣāṃ saṃhāraṃ kṛtvaiva adya priya-suhṛdaṃ pāṇḍu-nandanaṃ arjunaṃ prati yāsyāmi |
Sūta said. Sātyaki declared: “I shall strike down these shaven-headed Kāmbojas, just as Vāsava (Indra) slays the Dānavas. By doing so I will fulfill my vow. Therefore, drive me straight toward them. Only after destroying them today will I go to my beloved friend, Arjuna, the son of Pāṇḍu.”
सूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical force of a warrior’s vow and steadfast loyalty: Sātyaki frames his action as duty-bound resolve—fulfilling a pledged commitment before rejoining his ally Arjuna—while invoking Indra’s archetypal role as a protector who destroys hostile forces.
In the thick of battle, Sātyaki instructs his charioteer to drive him toward the Kāmboja fighters. He vows to kill them—likening his assault to Indra’s slaying of the Dānavas—and declares that only after completing this destruction will he proceed to Arjuna.