Shloka 30

Śaineya’s Breakthrough and Reunion with Arjuna (शैनेयस्य समागमः)

Devanagari script

सर्वशस्त्रातिगौ सेनां प्रविष्टी रथिसत्तमौ । दृष्टवा कां वै धृतिं युद्धे प्रत्यपद्यन्त मामका:,सम्पूर्ण शस्त्रोंकी पहुँचसे परे होकर जब रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ सात्यकि और अर्जुन मेरी सेनामें प्रविष्ट हो गये, तब उन्हें देखकर मेरे पुत्रोंने युद्धस्थलमें किस प्रकार धैर्य धारण किया?

Transliteration

sarvaśastrātigau senāṃ praviṣṭī rathisattamau | dṛṣṭvā kāṃ vai dhṛtiṃ yuddhe pratyapadyanta māmakāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “When the two foremost chariot-warriors, Sātyaki and Arjuna—whose mastery surpassed the reach of all weapons—had entered my army, what steadfastness did my side display on the battlefield upon seeing them?”

Word by Word

• सर्वशस्त्रातिगौ: having surpassed all weapons (i.e., beyond the reach of all weapons)
• सर्वशस्त्रातिगौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-शस्त्र-अतिग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• सेनाम्: army
• सेनाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रविष्टौ: having entered
• प्रविष्टौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु) / प्रविष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• रथिसत्तमौ: the best of chariot-warriors
• रथिसत्तमौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथि-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Gerund (Absolutive)

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)

• धृतिम्: steadfastness, courage
• धृतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• प्रत्यपद्यन्त: they attained/assumed (took to)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-आ-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• मामकाः: my people (my sons/party)
• मामकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मामक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātyaki
• Arjuna
• Kauravas (māmakāḥ)
• army (senā)
• weapons (śastra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dhṛti—steadfast composure under threat—as a decisive battlefield virtue. Even when confronted by superior warriors, the ethical demand of kṣatriya-dharma is to hold one’s ground with courage and clarity rather than collapse into fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki and Arjuna, famed as supreme chariot-warriors, have penetrated the Kaurava formation. He then asks (implicitly for Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s understanding) how the Kaurava fighters responded—what resolve or courage they managed to muster upon seeing these two.