Shloka 303
यत्त: सम्प्रापयन्नागं रजताश्वरथं प्रति । उस गजसेनाके नष्ट होनेपर महाबली जलसंध युद्धके लिये उद्यत हो श्वेत घोड़ोंवाले सात्यकिके रथके समीप अपना हाथी ले आया
yattaḥ samprāpayannāgaṃ rajatāśvarathaṃ prati | tasya gajasenāyā naṣṭāyāṃ mahābalī jalasandhaḥ yuddhāya udyataḥ śvetāśvarathasya sātyakeḥ rathasya samīpam ātmānaṃ nāgam ānayat |
Sañjaya said: When his elephant-troop had been destroyed, the mighty Jalasandha, eager for battle, drove his elephant forward toward the chariot drawn by white horses—Sātyaki’s silver-horsed car—closing in to engage him directly. The scene underscores the relentless momentum of war: even after the loss of supporting forces, a warrior’s resolve propels him into single combat, where courage and duty are tested amid escalating violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior ethic under kṣatriya-dharma: even after losing supporting forces, a fighter may press on with personal resolve. Ethically, it also points to the tragic logic of war—loss intensifies confrontation, drawing combatants into direct, high-stakes encounters.
Sañjaya describes Jalasandha advancing his war-elephant toward Sātyaki’s chariot drawn by white horses. This occurs after Jalasandha’s elephant-troop has been destroyed, and he now seeks direct combat by closing in on Sātyaki.