Shloka 13
अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः
Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces
सात्यकि: शकुनिं चापि द्रौपदेयाश्व॒ कौरवान् । अर्जुनं च रणे यत्तो द्रोणपुत्रो महारथ:
sātyakiḥ śakuniṃ cāpi draupadeyāś ca kauravān | arjunaṃ ca raṇe yatto droṇaputraḥ mahārathaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “Sātyaki charged at Śakuni, and the sons of Draupadī fell upon the Kauravas; while the great chariot-warrior Aśvatthāmā, son of Droṇa, rushed against Arjuna, fully intent in the thick of battle.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in war, intent (yattaḥ) and strategic targeting of principal opponents dominate action; ethically, it reflects the grim momentum of fratricidal conflict where duty-driven valor and calculated aggression intensify suffering rather than restore harmony.
Multiple simultaneous assaults occur: Sātyaki advances on Śakuni; the Draupadeyas engage other Kaurava fighters; and Aśvatthāmā, Droṇa’s son and a foremost warrior, charges directly at Arjuna in the battle.