Shloka 40
Sātyaki-praveśaḥ and Duryodhana-saṃnipātaḥ
Sātyaki’s passage and Duryodhana’s mass engagement
न चान्तरं तयोर्दष्टं संधाने छेदनेडपि च । इस प्रकार सुदृढ़ धनुष धारण करनेवाले सात्यकिने आचार्यके एक सौ धनुष काट डाले; परंतु कब वे संधान करते हैं और सात्यकि कब उस धनुषको काट देते हैं, उन दोनोंके इस कार्यमें किसीको कोई अन्तर नहीं दिखायी दिया ।। ३९ $ ।। ततोअसस््य संयुगे द्रोणो दृष्टवा कर्मातिमानुषम्
na cāntaraṃ tayor dṛṣṭaṃ sandhāne chedane ’pi ca | tato ’sya saṃyuge droṇo dṛṣṭvā karmātimānuṣam ||
सञ्जय उवाच—न च तयोः संधाने छेदने चान्तरं किञ्चिद् अदृश्यत; यदा धनुः संधत्ते तदा सात्यकिः तत् क्षिणोति—इति सर्वे विस्मिताः। ततः संयुगे द्रोणः कर्मातिमानुषं दृष्ट्वा सात्यकेः पराक्रमं मनसि न्यधात्।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the astonishing refinement of martial discipline—actions so perfectly timed that no gap is perceptible—while also reminding the reader that such excellence operates within a morally fraught war where dharma is contested and consequences are grave.
Sañjaya describes a rapid exchange in which Sātyaki’s cutting of bows keeps pace with the opponent’s act of setting/readying them, so that observers cannot detect any interval; Droṇa then notices this ‘superhuman’ performance on the battlefield.