Shloka 3
Śiva’s Battlefield Manifestation and Vyāsa’s Śatarudrīya Exposition (शिवप्रादुर्भावः शतरुद्रीयव्याख्यानम्)
अथीैनं कोष्ठकीकृत्य सर्वतस्ते महारथा: । सिंहनादांस्ततश्नक्रुस्तर्जयन्ति सम सात्यकिम्,इस प्रकार सब ओरसे सात्यकिको कोष्ठबद्ध-सा करके वे महारथी योद्धा सिंहनाद करने और उन्हें डाँट बताने लगे
athainaṁ koṣṭhakīkṛtya sarvataste mahārathāḥ | siṁhanādāṁs tataś cakrus tarjayantaḥ samaṁ sātyakim ||
Sañjaya said: Then those great chariot-warriors hemmed Sātyaki in on every side, as though enclosing him in a tight enclosure; and raising lion-like roars, they began to intimidate and taunt him together—an act meant to break his resolve amid the press of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where victory is pursued not only through weapons but also through morale: intimidation and collective pressure are used to shake an opponent’s steadiness. It implicitly contrasts inner firmness (courage and composure) with external noise and threats.
A group of elite warriors closes in around Sātyaki from all directions, effectively boxing him in. They shout lion-like roars and collectively taunt/threaten him, attempting to overwhelm him psychologically while he is tactically encircled.