Shloka 17
Droṇavadha-saṃniveśaḥ — The Convergence Toward Droṇa’s Fall
Book 7, Chapter 164
अथान्यद् धनुरादाय सात्यकिर्वेगवत्तरम् । पज्चभि: सायकैस्तूर्ण सोमदत्तमविध्यत,तदनन्तर सात्यकिने अत्यन्त वेगशाली दूसरा धनुष हाथमें लेकर तुरंत ही पाँच बाणोंसे सोमदत्तको बींध डाला
athānyad dhanur ādāya sātyakir vegavattaram | pañcabhiḥ sāyakais tūrṇaṃ somadattam avidhyat ||
Then Sātyaki, taking up another bow of even greater speed, swiftly pierced Somadatta with five arrows.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined martial agency: in the chaos of war, effectiveness comes from swift, deliberate action aligned with a warrior’s duty (kṣatriya-dharma), not from uncontrolled rage.
Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki switches to another, faster bow and immediately strikes Somadatta with five arrows, intensifying the duel and signaling Sātyaki’s tactical readiness.