ततो द्रुतमतिक्रम्य सिंहलाडगूलकेतनम् । सव्यसाची महेष्वासमश्चृत्थामानमब्रवीत्,सव्यसाची अर्जुन सिंहकी पूँछके चिह्नवाली ध्वजासे युक्त महाधनुर्थर अश्वत्थामाके पास तुरंत आकर उससे इस प्रकार बोले--
tato drutam atikramya siṁhalāṅgūla-ketanam | savyasācī maheṣvāsam aśvatthāmānam abravīt ||
Sañjaya said: Then Arjuna—renowned as Savyasācī—swiftly advancing past the warrior whose banner bore the emblem of a lion’s tail, addressed Aśvatthāmā, the great archer. In the charged ethics of battle, the verse frames a direct confrontation: a disciplined warrior moves decisively and speaks, signaling that words and intent now precede the next act of violence.
संजय उवाच