Shloka 173

Devanagari script

अभ्यद्रवन्त शैनेयमसंख्येयाश्ष पत्तय: । तत्पश्चात्‌ एक हजार रथी, सौ महारथी, एक हजार हाथी और दो हजार घुड़सवारोंके साथ बहुत-से महारथी और असंख्य पैदल सैनिक सात्यकिपर नाना प्रकारके बाणोंकी वर्षा करते हुए टूट पड़े

Transliteration

abhyadravanta śaineyam asaṅkhyeyāś ca pattayaḥ | tatpaścāt eka-sahasra-rathī, śata-mahārathī, eka-sahasra-hastī ca dvi-sahasra-aśvārūḍhāḥ bahavaś ca mahārathā asaṅkhyeyāś ca padātayaḥ sātyakim nānā-vidhaiḥ śaraiḥ varṣayantaḥ samantāt pratyapatanta |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Countless foot-soldiers rushed upon Śaineya (Sātyaki). After them came a thousand chariot-warriors, a hundred great chariot-warriors, a thousand elephants, and two thousand horsemen; along with many other mighty fighters and innumerable infantry, they surged against Sātyaki from all sides, showering him with arrows of many kinds. The scene underscores the war’s ruthless momentum: a single righteous ally is tested by overwhelming force, and courage is measured not by ease but by steadfastness amid massed violence.

Word by Word

• अभ्यद्रवन्त: ran towards, charged
• अभ्यद्रवन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√द्रु (द्रवति)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

• शैनेयम्: upon Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• शैनेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैनेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• असंख्येयाः: countless
• असंख्येयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंख्येय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पत्तयः: foot-soldiers
• पत्तयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्: then/that (thereafter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात्
• Form: true

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• infantry (pattayaḥ/padātayaḥ)
• chariot-warriors (rathī)
• great chariot-warriors (mahārathī)
• war-elephants (hastī)
• horsemen/cavalry (aśvārūḍhāḥ)
• arrows (śarāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights steadfastness under extreme pressure: dharma in war is tested when a lone ally faces overwhelming numbers, and ethical strength appears as courage, discipline, and refusal to abandon one’s duty despite fear and violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki (Śaineya) is charged by innumerable infantry, followed by large formations of chariots, elite chariot-warriors, elephants, and cavalry, all attacking from every side while raining diverse arrows upon him.