Shloka 56

Bhūriśravas–Sātyaki Saṃvāda and Duel; Arjuna’s Intervention (भूरिश्रवाः–सात्यकि संवादः, युद्धम्, अर्जुन-हस्तक्षेपः)

Devanagari script

शरार्दित: सात्वतेन मर्दमान: स्ववाहिनीम्‌

Transliteration

śarārditaḥ sātvatena mardamānaḥ svavāhinīm

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Dihujani dan ditembus anak panah oleh kesatria Sātvata, meski terhimpit dan terdesak, ia tetap menerobos maju di tengah pasukannya sendiri; tekadnya tidak runtuh.

Word by Word

• शरार्दितः: pierced/afflicted by arrows
• शरार्दितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरार्दित (शर + अर्दित)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सात्वतेन: by the Sātvata (Krishna/Vrishni hero)
• सात्वतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्वत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• मर्दमानः: crushing/pressing down
• मर्दमानः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृद् (मर्द्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्ववाहिनीम्: his own army
• स्ववाहिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्ववाहिनी (स्व + वाहिनी)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātvata (Vr̥ṣṇi/Yādava warrior; likely Sātyaki in context)
• arrows
• army (svavāhinī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness under suffering: in war, a warrior may continue despite being wounded, illustrating the tension between personal pain and the perceived obligation to persist in one’s role (kṣatriya-dharma), while also reminding the listener of the heavy cost of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a combatant has been struck by arrows shot by a ‘Sātvata’ warrior and is being hard-pressed; nevertheless, he moves amid/with reference to his own troops (svavāhinī), indicating a moment of intense pressure in the battle line.