Shloka 9
Sātyaki’s Call for Intervention and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Vow-Bound Restraint (सात्यकिवाक्यं—धर्मराजस्य धैर्यनिश्चयः)
कायाच्छिर: सर्पविषाग्निकल्पै: शरोत्तमैरुन्मथितास्मि राम । खड्गेन चाहं निशितेन संख्ये कायाच्छिरस्तस्य बलात् प्रमथ्य,बलरामजी! सर्प, विष एवं अग्निके समान भयंकर उत्तम बाणोंद्वारा शत्रुके सिरको धड़से अलग कर दूँगा, साथ ही उस समरांगणमें शत्रुमण्डलीको मैं बलपूर्वक रौंदकर तीखी तलवारद्वारा उसका मस्तक उड़ा दूँगा
kāyāc chiraḥ sarpaviṣāgnikalpaiḥ śarottamair unmathitāsmi rāma | khaḍgena cāhaṃ niśitena saṅkhye kāyāc chiras tasya balāt pramathya ||
Baladewa berkata: “Wahai Rāma, tubuh dan kepalaku terkoyak dan terguncang oleh anak panah terbaik—mengerikan laksana ular, racun, dan api. Namun di tengah pertempuran, dengan pedangku yang tajam akan kurebut kepalanya dari tubuhnya dengan paksa dan kutebaskan hingga jatuh.”
बलदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness under injury: even when struck by fearsome weapons, the warrior maintains resolve and answers aggression with decisive force. Ethically, it reflects the epic’s martial code—courage and retaliation within the battlefield context—rather than a universal endorsement of violence.
Baladeva addresses Rāma, describing how he is being battered by deadly arrows likened to serpents, poison, and fire. He then vows that in the ensuing fight he will use his sharp sword to forcibly sever the enemy’s head from the body, asserting imminent counterattack and dominance in combat.