Shloka 203
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 125: Duryodhana’s despair and vow after Jayadratha’s fall (जयद्रथवधे दुर्योधनविलापः)
प्रायात् स शनकैर्वीरो धनंजयरथं प्रति । विषधर सर्पके समान भयंकर बाणोंद्वारा पाँच सौ योद्धाओंका संहार करके वीर सात्यकि धीरे-धीरे धनंजयके रथकी ओर बढ़ने लगे
prāyāt sa śanakair vīro dhanañjaya-rathaṁ prati | viṣadhara-sarpaka-samāna-bhayaṅkara-bāṇair dvārā pañcaśata-yoddhānāṁ saṁhāraṁ kṛtvā vīraḥ sātyakiḥ śanaiḥ śanaiḥ dhanañjayasya rathasyābhimukhaṁ babhūva |
Sañjaya said: After cutting down five hundred warriors with dreadful arrows, like a venom-bearing serpent, the valiant Sātyaki advanced steadily toward the chariot of Dhanañjaya (Arjuna). The scene underscores the grim momentum of battle—heroism expressed through relentless martial skill, yet set within the morally weighty cost of mass slaughter in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension within dharma-yuddha: a warrior’s steadfast performance of duty and loyalty can coexist with the grave ethical weight of large-scale killing. It invites reflection on how valor and responsibility operate amid the tragic costs of war.
Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki, after killing five hundred enemy warriors with terrifying arrows, moves steadily toward Arjuna’s chariot, likened to a venomous serpent in his fearsome effectiveness.