कथं वैषां तदा युद्धे धृतिरासीन्मुमूर्षताम् । शैनेयचरितं दृष्टवा यादृशं सव्यसाचिन:,वे सब-के-सब मरना चाहते थे। उस समय युद्धस्थलमें अर्जुनके समान ही सात्यकिका चरित्र देखकर उनकी कैसी धारणा हुई थी?
sañjaya uvāca | kathaṁ vaiṣāṁ tadā yuddhe dhṛtir āsīn mumūrṣatām | śaineya-caritaṁ dṛṣṭvā yādṛśaṁ savyasācinaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “How, in that battle, did resolve arise in those men who were ready to die? And when they witnessed the conduct and prowess of Śaineya—so like that of Arjuna (Savyasācin)—what kind of conviction and temper of mind did it produce in them?”
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights dhṛti—sustaining resolve—as a decisive inner force in war: even those facing death can regain steadiness by witnessing exemplary, disciplined heroism. Ethical emphasis falls on how noble conduct (carita) can stabilize minds and inspire courage amid mortal danger.
Sanjaya describes (or prepares to describe) the battlefield mood: warriors who were ready to die nonetheless found renewed resolve. This change is linked to seeing Sātyaki’s (Śaineya’s) deeds, which resembled Arjuna’s famed prowess, prompting a shift in their confidence and determination.