Shloka 41
अर्जुनस्य द्रोणिप्रतिघातः कर्णोपसर्पणं च
Arjuna Checks Droṇaputra; Karṇa Advances
(सात्यकिर्वषसेनं तु विद्ध्वा सप्तभिरायसै: । पुनर्विव्याध सप्तत्या सारथिं च त्रिभि: शरै: ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
sātyakir vṛṣasenaṃ tu viddhvā saptabhir āyasaiḥ |
punar vivyādha saptatyā sārathiṃ ca tribhiḥ śaraiḥ ||
vṛṣasenas tu śaineyaṃ śareṇānataparvaṇā |
ājadaghāna mahārāja śaṅkhadeśe mahāratham ||
śaineyo vṛṣasenena patriṇā paripīḍitaḥ |
kopaṃ cakre mahārāja kruddho vegaṃ ca dāruṇam ||
jagrāheṣūn varān vīraḥ śīghraṃ vai daśa pañca ca ||
Sañjaya berkata: Sātyaki memanah Vṛṣasena dengan tujuh anak panah bertangkai besi, lalu menembusinya lagi dengan tujuh puluh, dan turut mencederakan sais keretanya dengan tiga batang. Namun Vṛṣasena, wahai Raja, memukul pahlawan kereta agung Śaineya (Sātyaki) dengan sebatang anak panah yang ruasnya melengkung, mengenai bahagian kepala. Diseksa oleh anak panah berbulu Vṛṣasena, Śaineya menyala dengan amarah; dalam murka, dia memperlihatkan lonjakan kelajuan yang mengerikan dan segera menggenggam lima belas anak panah pilihan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The episode illustrates kṣatriya-dharma in battle: when wounded, a warrior must not collapse into despair but convert pain into disciplined resolve. Anger (kopa) is shown as a dangerous force that must be harnessed into focused action—skill, speed, and tactical targeting—rather than uncontrolled cruelty.
Sātyaki first overwhelms Vṛṣasena with multiple arrows and also strikes his charioteer. Vṛṣasena counters by hitting Sātyaki in the head/temple region with a distinctive arrow. Pained, Sātyaki becomes furious, gathers fifteen choice arrows, and prepares a swift retaliatory strike (the continuation describes disabling the chariot’s supports such as charioteer, horses, and banner).