Shloka 43
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 96: Sātyaki’s Line-Penetration, Encirclement, and Advance toward Arjuna
स्वस्ति ते<स्त्वेकपादेभ्यो बहुपादेभ्य एव च । स्वस्त्यस्त्वपादकेभ्यश्व नित्यं तव महारणे,इस महायुद्धमें एक पैरवाले, अनेक पैरवाले तथा पैरोंसे रहित प्राणियोंसे तुम्हारा नित्य मंगल हो
svasti te 'stv ekapādebhyo bahupādebhya eva ca | svasty astv apādakebhyaś ca nityaṁ tava mahāraṇe ||
Sañjaya said: “May auspiciousness attend you in this great battle—may you ever be safe from harm caused by creatures with one foot, by those with many feet, and also by those without feet.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid violent conflict, the text preserves a dharmic impulse toward auspiciousness and protection: one should remain mindful of vulnerability, invoke well-being, and acknowledge that danger can arise from any quarter—seen or unseen, great or small.
Sañjaya, narrating the events of the Kurukṣetra war, utters a protective benediction for the listener/recipient in the context of the ‘great battle,’ wishing safety from all kinds of creatures—one-footed, many-footed, and footless—i.e., from every possible source of harm.