Shloka 4
Śiva’s Battlefield Manifestation and Vyāsa’s Śatarudrīya Exposition (शिवप्रादुर्भावः शतरुद्रीयव्याख्यानम्)
ते भ्यवर्षञछरैस्तीक्ष्णै: सात्यकिं सत्यविक्रमम् । त्वरमाणा महावीरा माधवस्य वधैषिण:,इतना ही नहीं, मधुवंशी सात्यकिका वध करनेकी इच्छासे उतावले हो वे महावीर सैनिक उन सत्यपराक्रमी सात्यकिपर तीखे बाणोंकी वर्षा करने लगे
te bhyavarṣañ charais tīkṣṇaiḥ sātyakiṃ satyavikramam | tvaramāṇā mahāvīrā mādhavasya vadhaiṣiṇaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then those great warriors, eager and hastening to slay Sātyaki of true prowess—thinking thereby to strike at Mādhava’s cause—showered him with sharp arrows. The scene underscores how, in the fury of war, valor is met not only with valor but with collective, goal-driven violence, where the desire to break an opponent’s support can eclipse restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of war: collective force is deployed with a calculated aim—breaking an opponent’s support system—showing how intention (vadhaiṣiṇaḥ, ‘seeking to slay’) can drive actions that intensify violence and test dharmic restraint.
On the battlefield, a group of great warriors urgently targets Sātyaki, described as truly valorous, and they rain sharp arrows upon him, motivated by the desire to kill him and thereby weaken the side associated with Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa).