Shloka 33
Droṇavadha-saṃniveśaḥ — The Convergence Toward Droṇa’s Fall
Book 7, Chapter 164
सो5तिविद्धों महाराज सात्वतेन महारथ: । सोमदत्तो महाबाहुर्निपपात ममार च,महाराज! सात्यकिके चलाये हुए उस बाणसे अत्यन्त घायल होकर महारथी महाबाहु सोमदत्त पृथ्वीपर गिरे और मर गये
so 'tividdho mahārāja sātvatena mahārathaḥ | somadatto mahābāhur nipapāta mamāra ca ||
Sañjaya said: O King, struck through and grievously wounded by the Sātvata (Sātyaki), the great chariot-warrior Somadatta, mighty-armed, fell to the earth and died.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark ethical reality of war: even renowned warriors fall when karma and circumstance converge. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring reminder that martial glory is transient and that choices in allegiance and action carry irreversible consequences.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Somadatta, an eminent Kuru warrior, is struck grievously by Sātyaki (called the Sātvata) and, falling to the ground, dies—marking a decisive kill in the ongoing battle of the Droṇa Parva.