Shloka 68
द्रोणपुत्रस्याग्नेयास्त्रप्रयोगः — अर्जुनस्य ब्राह्मास्त्रप्रतिघातः — व्यासोपदेशः
Aśvatthāmā’s Agneyāstra, Arjuna’s Brāhmāstra Counter, and Vyāsa’s Instruction
प्रयाते सौबले राजन् पाण्डवानामनीकिनीम् । बलेन महता युक्त: सूतपुत्रस्तु सात्वतम्,राजन्! जब शकुनि पाण्डव-सेनाकी ओर चला गया, तब विशाल सेनाके साथ सूतपुत्र कर्णने युद्धस्थलमें कई सौ बाणोंकी वर्षा करते हुए तुरंत ही सात्यकिपर आक्रमण किया। इसी प्रकार अन्य सब राजाओंने भी सात्यकिको घेर लिया
saubale prayāte rājan pāṇḍavānām anīkinīm | balena mahatā yuktaḥ sūtaputras tu sātvataṃ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, when the son of Subala (Śakuni) advanced toward the Pāṇḍavas’ army, the charioteer’s son Karṇa—supported by a vast force—at once fell upon Sātyaki, showering him with hundreds of arrows on the battlefield. In the same manner, the other kings too surrounded Sātyaki.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war often shifts from balanced duels to coordinated pressure against key individuals; it implicitly raises ethical tension between heroic single combat and pragmatic massed assault, a recurring Mahābhārata reflection on dharma under battlefield necessity.
Śakuni moves toward the Pāṇḍava formation; immediately Karṇa, backed by a large force, attacks Sātyaki with a heavy arrow-shower, and other allied kings join in to encircle Sātyaki, concentrating their efforts on him.