Shloka 20

सहदेव-राधेय-संग्रामः; शल्य-प्रभावः; अलम्बुस-निवर्तनम्

Sahadeva and Karṇa; Śalya’s pressure; Alambusa’s interception

Devanagari script

लि शी जं 7४ 2 है ब >चस शी] ॥ १४ 2 ४ हा > & 200 / है ४ 5 + कं | 232: ९ अन्वागतं वृष्णिवीरं समीक्ष्य तथारिमध्ये परिवर्तमानम्‌ । घ्नन्तं कुरूणामिषुभिर्बलानि पुन: पुनर्वायुमिवा भ्रपूगान्‌,उस समय गोदुग्ध, कुन्दकुसुम, चन्द्रमा तथा हिमके समान कान्तिवाले सिंधुदेशीय सुशिक्षित सुन्दर घोड़े, जो सोनेकी जालीसे आवृत थे, पुरुषसिंह सात्यकि जहाँ-जहाँ जाना चाहते, वहाँ-वहाँ उन्हें ले जाते थे। अजमीढवंशी भरतनन्दन! इस प्रकार जैसे वायु मेघोंकी घटाको छित्न-भिन्न करती रहती है, वैसे ही बारंबार बाणोंद्वारा कौरव-सेनाओंका संहार करते और शत्रुओंके बीचमें विचरते हुए वृष्णिवीर सात्यकिको वहाँ आया हुआ देख योद्धाओंमें प्रधान आपके पुत्र दुःशासनको अगुआ बनाकर आपके बहुत-से पुत्र तथा आपके पक्षके अन्य योद्धा भी शीघ्रतापूर्वक एक साथ ही उनपर टूट पड़े

Transliteration

anvāgataṁ vṛṣṇivīraṁ samīkṣya tathārimadhye parivartamānam | ghnantaṁ kurūṇām iṣubhir balāni punaḥ punaḥ vāyum ivābhrabhūgān ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Seeing the Vṛṣṇi hero (Sātyaki) arrive and move about in the very midst of the enemy, repeatedly striking down the Kuru forces with his arrows—like the wind again and again scattering masses of clouds—Duryodhana’s warriors, led by Duḥśāsana, rushed together to overwhelm him. The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of concentrated counter-attack against a single, highly effective combatant, even as it underscores the relentless, almost elemental force of Sātyaki’s assault.

Word by Word

अन्वागतम्having come/arrived (there), come along

वृष्णिवीरम्the hero of the Vṛṣṇis (Sātyaki)

समीक्ष्यhaving seen/observed

तथाthus, and also

अरिमध्येin the midst of enemies

परिवर्तमानम्moving about, roaming

घ्नन्तम्slaying, striking down

कुरूणाम्of the Kurus

इषुभिःwith arrows

बलानिforces, armies

पुनःagain

पुनःagain and again

वायुम्wind

इवlike, as

अभ्रपूगान्masses of clouds

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Sātyaki (Vṛṣṇivīra)

Kurus (Kaurava forces)

Enemies (ari)

Wind (vāyu) (simile)

Cloud-masses (abhra-bhūga) (simile)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the battlefield ethic of responding to overwhelming martial prowess with coordinated resistance, while also portraying how a single warrior’s focused action can reshape the field—raising questions about the momentum of violence and the duty-bound intensity of kṣatriya warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Sātyaki entering and maneuvering among enemies, repeatedly cutting down Kuru troops with arrows; his impact is likened to wind dispersing cloud-banks, prompting the Kaurava side (led by Duḥśāsana in the surrounding prose context) to surge against him.