Shloka 7
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 125: Duryodhana’s despair and vow after Jayadratha’s fall (जयद्रथवधे दुर्योधनविलापः)
तेषु द्रवत्सु राजेन्द्र पुत्रो द:ःशासनस्तव | तस्थौ व्यपेतभी राजन् सात्यकिं चार्दयच्छरै:,राजेन्द्र! उनके भागनेपर भी आपका पुत्र दुःशासन वहीं निर्भय खड़ा रहा। उसने सात्यकिको अपने बाणोंसे पीड़ित कर दिया
teṣu dravatsu rājendra putro duḥśāsanas tava | tasthau vyapetabhī rājann sātyakiṃ cārdayac charaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O king, even as those warriors fled, your son Duḥśāsana stood his ground, fearless. O ruler, he then harried Sātyaki, afflicting him with a shower of arrows.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of standing firm in battle: even when others retreat, a warrior may choose steadfastness and courage. Ethically, it also shows how valor in war can be morally ambiguous—fearlessness and martial skill are praised as qualities, yet they are exercised within a destructive conflict.
As some fighters are in flight, Duḥśāsana remains on the field without fear and turns his attention to Sātyaki, striking and pressuring him with arrows. Sañjaya reports this to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, emphasizing Duḥśāsana’s resolve and aggression.