Shloka 12

Devanagari script

सो35तिविद्धो महेष्वासो द्रोणपुत्रेण सात्वतः । द्रोणपुत्रं त्रिभिबाणैराजघान महायशा:,द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामाके द्वारा अत्यन्त घायल होकर महायशस्वी महाधनुर्धर सात्यकिने तीन बाणोंसे उसे भी घायल कर दिया

Transliteration

so 'tividdho maheṣvāso droṇaputreṇa sātvatāḥ | droṇaputraṃ tribhir bāṇair ājaghāna mahāyaśāḥ ||

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Embora gravemente trespassado pelo filho de Droṇa, o célebre herói sātvata, grande arqueiro Sātyaki, revidou e feriu o filho de Droṇa com três flechas.

Word by Word

सःhe (Sātyaki)

अतिविद्धःpierced severely

महेष्वासःgreat bowman

द्रोणपुत्रेणby Droṇa's son (Aśvatthāman)

सात्वतःthe Sātvata (Sātyaki)

द्रोणपुत्रम्Droṇa's son (Aśvatthāman)

त्रिभिःwith three

बाणैःarrows

आजघानstruck/smote

महायशाःof great fame

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Sātyaki (Sātvata)

Aśvatthāman (Droṇaputra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya steadfastness: even when badly wounded, a warrior maintains composure and responds with disciplined counteraction. It reflects the battlefield ethic of courage and resilience under injury, where honor is upheld through controlled, purposeful retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son) has severely wounded Sātyaki. Despite this, Sātyaki—celebrated as a great archer—strikes back and wounds Aśvatthāman with three arrows, continuing the intense duel.