Shloka 23

Devanagari script

दशभि: सात्यकि विद्ध्वा सौमदत्तिरथापरान्‌

Transliteration

daśabhiḥ sātyakiṃ viddhvā saumadattir athāparān

Translation

Sañjaya said: Having struck Sātyaki with ten arrows, Saumadatti then turned his assault upon the others as well. The scene underscores the relentless momentum of battle, where prowess is measured by restraint and purpose as much as by force, even amid escalating violence.

Word by Word

• दशभिः: with ten (arrows)
• दशभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन्
• Form: नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सात्यकिम्: Sātyaki
• सात्यकिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्यकि
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विद्ध्वा: having pierced/struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), कर्तरि

• सौमदत्तिः: Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas)
• सौमदत्तिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौमदत्ति
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रथापरान्: other chariot-warriors
• रथापरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथापर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātyaki
• Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic: skill and resolve are displayed through precise action, yet the moral weight lies in how power is directed—whether toward duty and protection or toward unchecked aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas) wounds Sātyaki with ten arrows and then proceeds to attack other warriors, indicating a continuing, widening engagement in the Drona Parva battle.