Shloka 79
अलंबलवधः (Alaṃbala-vadhaḥ) / The Slaying of Alaṃbala and the Advance toward Karṇa
दारुकेण समायुक्त: स्वबाहुबलदर्पित: । कच्चिदन्यं समारूढ: सात्यकि: शत्रुतापन:,धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! सात्यकि युद्धमें भगवान् श्रीकृष्णके समान हैं। उन्होंने श्रीकृष्णके ही अजेय रथपर आरूढ़ होकर कर्णको रथहीन कर दिया। उस समय उनके साथ दारुक-जैसा सारथि था और उन्हें अपने बाहुबलका अभिमान तो था ही; परंतु शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले सात्यकि क्या किसी दूसरे रथपर भी आरूढ़ हुए थे?
dārukeṇa samāyuktaḥ svabāhubaladarpitaḥ | kaccid anyaṃ samārūḍhaḥ sātyakiḥ śatrutāpanaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Adakah Sātyaki—pembakar musuh—yang dipandu Dāruka sebagai sais dan bermegah pada kekuatan lengannya sendiri, pernah menaiki kereta lain?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that battlefield success is not only personal valor but also the support-system—chariot, charioteer, and strategic advantage. Ethically, it invites reflection on how power is amplified by resources and alliances, and how credit and responsibility in war are shared between the warrior and the means employed.
Sañjaya reports (in response to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s concern) a pointed question about Sātyaki: when he performed great feats, he had Dāruka as charioteer; the inquiry asks whether Sātyaki ever rode any other chariot—implying scrutiny of whether his achievements were tied to exceptional chariot-support.