Shloka 22
द्रोण–सात्यकि द्वैरथम्
Droṇa and Sātyaki: The Chariot Duel
धार्तराष्ट्रप्रियकरं मयि विस्मृतसौहृदम् । पापं बालवधे हेतु श्वो5स्मि हनता जयद्रथम्,जो धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्रोंका प्रिय कर रहा है, जिसने मेरे प्रति अपना सौहार्द भुला दिया है तथा जो बालक अभिमन्युके वधमें कारण बना है, उस पापी जयद्रथको कल अवश्य मार डालूँगा
arjuna uvāca |
dhārtarāṣṭrapriyakaraṁ mayi vismṛtasauhṛdam |
pāpaṁ bālavadhe hetuṁ śvo 'smi hantā jayadratham ||
Arjuna said: “Jayadratha—who curries favor with the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who has forgotten his former friendship toward me, and who became a cause in the killing of the boy Abhimanyu—is a sinner. Tomorrow I shall surely slay Jayadratha.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of complicity in wrongdoing and the kṣatriya ideal of accountability in war: Arjuna frames Jayadratha’s betrayal and role in Abhimanyu’s death as moral culpability, and binds himself by a solemn vow to enact justice on the battlefield.
After Abhimanyu’s killing, Arjuna publicly declares that Jayadratha—seen as instrumental in trapping Abhimanyu and aiding the Kauravas—will be slain by him the next day. This vow intensifies the next day’s fighting, as the Kauravas strive to protect Jayadratha while the Pāṇḍavas strive to reach him.