Shloka 443

Sātyaki-praveśaḥ and Duryodhana-saṃnipātaḥ

Sātyaki’s passage and Duryodhana’s mass engagement

Devanagari script

सिद्धचारणसंघाश्न विदुद्रोणस्य कर्म तत्‌ । प्रजानाथ! रणभूमिमें शीघ्रतापूर्वक विचरनेवाले सात्यकिकी उस फुर्तीको देवताओं, गन्धर्वों, सिद्धों और चारणसमूहोंने पहले कभी नहीं देखा था। वे जानते थे कि केवल द्रोणाचार्य ही वैसा पराक्रम कर सकते हैं (परंतु उस दिन उन्होंने सात्यकिका पराक्रम भी प्रत्यक्ष देख लिया)

Transliteration

siddhacāraṇasaṅghāś ca viduḥ droṇasya karma tat | prajānātha raṇabhūmau śīghratāpūrvakaṃ vicarataḥ sātyakeḥ tāṃ sphūrtim devā gandharvāḥ siddhāś ca cāraṇagaṇāḥ pūrvaṃ na kadācana dadṛśuḥ | te jānanti sma yathā kevalaṃ droṇa eva tādṛśaṃ parākramaṃ kartum arhati iti (kintu tadā te sātyakeḥ parākramaṃ pratyakṣam apaśyan) |

Translation

सञ्जय उवाच—सिद्धचारणसंघाश्च देवगन्धर्वसत्तमाः । द्रोणस्यैवेदृशं कर्म मन्यन्ते स्म पुरा नृप । अदृष्टपूर्वं तु तदा सात्यकेः शीघ्रचारितम् । रणभूमौ महावेगं ददृशुस्ते समागताः ॥

Word by Word

• {'siddha': 'a perfected being

• semi-divine accomplished sage', 'cāraṇa': 'a celestial bard

• herald who praises heroes', 'saṅgha/gaṇa': 'company, host, multitude', 'viduḥ': 'they knew, they understood', 'droṇasya karma': 'Droṇa’s deed/feat

• the characteristic exploit of Droṇa', 'prajānātha': 'lord of people

• king (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'raṇabhūmi': 'battlefield', 'śīghratā': 'swiftness, speed', 'vicarati': 'moves about, ranges, roams', 'sātyaki': 'Yādava warrior, ally of the Pāṇḍavas', 'sphūrti': 'agile energy, spirited prowess, quickness', 'devāḥ': 'gods', 'gandharvāḥ': 'celestial musicians/spirits', 'pūrvaṃ na kadācana dadṛśuḥ': 'never before did they see', 'parākrama': 'valor, heroic might', 'pratyakṣa': 'directly, before one’s eyes'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• Sātyaki
• Siddhas
• Cāraṇas
• Devas
• Gandharvas
• Raṇabhūmi (battlefield)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address prajānātha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Extraordinary excellence is not confined to reputation or a single celebrated figure; direct witnessing can overturn assumptions. The verse highlights how even celestial observers revise their judgment when confronted with lived evidence of virtue and prowess.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that celestial beings—Devas, Gandharvas, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas—watch Sātyaki moving with astonishing speed and skill on the battlefield. They had associated such feats only with Droṇa, but now they see Sātyaki display comparable heroism.