Shloka 7
अपश्यन् सात्यकिं चापि वृष्णीनां प्रवरं रथम् । चिन्तयाभिपरीताज्े धर्मराजो युधिषछ्िर:,वृष्णिवंशके प्रमुख महारथी सात्यकिको भी न देखनेके कारण धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरका एक-एक अंग चिन्ताकी आगसे संतप्त हो उठा
apaśyan sātyakiṃ cāpi vṛṣṇīnāṃ pravaraṃ ratham | cintayābhiparītāṅgo dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Not seeing Sātyaki either—the foremost chariot-warrior among the Vṛṣṇis—Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira was overwhelmed by anxious foreboding; his whole being seemed seized and scorched by worry. In the moral atmosphere of the war, the absence of a righteous ally becomes a sign of danger, shaking even the steadfast king’s composure.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a dharma-grounded leader can be shaken when a key righteous ally is missing; the verse highlights the ethical burden of command—responsibility for others makes the mind vulnerable to fear, and vigilance must accompany righteousness in war.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira cannot see Sātyaki on the battlefield. Because Sātyaki is a foremost Vṛṣṇi chariot-warrior and an important supporter, his absence triggers intense anxiety in Yudhiṣṭhira, who fears misfortune or defeat.