Shloka 313

अलंबलवधः (Alaṃbala-vadhaḥ) / The Slaying of Alaṃbala and the Advance toward Karṇa

Devanagari script

न सौमदत्तिपदवीं गमयेत्‌ सात्यकिं वृष: । “जनार्दन! यह जहाँ जाता है, वहीं आप भी अपने घोड़ोंको हाँकिये। कहीं ऐसा न हो कि कर्ण सात्यकिको भूरिश्रवाके पथपर पहुँचा दे”

Transliteration

saumadattipadavīṁ na gamayet sātyakiṁ vṛṣaḥ | janārdana! yaḥ yatra gacchati tatraiva tvam api aśvān hāṅkaya | kvacid evaṁ na syāt yat karṇaḥ sātyakiṁ bhūriśravasaḥ pathi prāpayet ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Let not the bull-like Sātyaki be driven onto the path of Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas). O Janārdana, wherever he goes, urge your horses there as well—lest Karṇa maneuver Sātyaki into Bhūriśravas’s line of attack.”

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• सौमदत्ति-पदवीं: the path/track of Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas)
• सौमदत्ति-पदवीं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौमदत्ति-पदवी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गमयेत्: should cause to go / should lead
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (गच्छति)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Causative (णिच्)

• सात्यकिम्: Sātyaki
• सात्यकिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्यकि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वृषः: the bull (i.e., the best/hero)
• वृषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna)
• Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas)
• Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• Karna
• horses (chariot team)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield responsibility and protective leadership: a charioteer (Kṛṣṇa) must read threats in real time and maneuver to prevent an ally (Sātyaki) from being forced into a lethal matchup engineered by an opponent (Karna).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports an urgent warning to Kṛṣṇa: track Sātyaki’s movements and steer accordingly, so that Karṇa cannot redirect Sātyaki into the ‘path’—the striking range and tactical line—of Bhūriśravas (Saumadatti).