Shloka 22
Bhūriśravas–Sātyaki Saṃvāda and Duel; Arjuna’s Intervention (भूरिश्रवाः–सात्यकि संवादः, युद्धम्, अर्जुन-हस्तक्षेपः)
परिवद्रुस्तत: शूरा गजानीकेन सर्वतः । किरन्तो विविधांस्तीक्ष्णानू सायकॉल्लघुवेधिन:,शंखके समान श्वैत रंगवाले उन उत्तम घोड़ोंद्वारा रणभूमिमें आते हुए सात्यकिको त्रिगर्तदेशीय शूरवीरोंने सब ओरसे गजसेनाद्वारा घेर लिया। शीघ्रतापूर्वक लक्ष्य वेधनेवाले वे समस्त सैनिक नाना प्रकारके तीखे बाणोंकी वर्षा कर रहे थे
parivavṛdus tataḥ śūrā gajānīkena sarvataḥ | kiranto vividhāṁs tīkṣṇān sāyakāṁl laghuvedhinaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then the valiant warriors closed in on all sides with an elephant-corps, hemming Sātyaki in. Those swift marksmen showered him with many kinds of sharp arrows, pressing the battle with relentless force and the intent to overwhelm by encirclement rather than fair single combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic-and-tactics tension: valor is tested not only in direct duels but also under coordinated pressure like encirclement. It underscores the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare, where strategic advantage (mass, elephants, arrow volleys) is used to break a hero’s resistance, raising implicit questions about fairness versus necessity in war.
Sañjaya narrates that Sātyaki is surrounded on all sides by a force organized around an elephant division, while swift archers rain sharp arrows upon him, attempting to overwhelm him through concentrated, multi-directional assault.