Shloka 26
सात्यकिरुवाच मुण्डानेतान् हनिष्यामि दानवानिव वासव:,सात्यकि बोले--सूत! जैसे इन्द्र दानवोंका वध करते हैं, उसी प्रकार आज मैं इन मथमुंडे काम्बोजोंका ही वध करूँगा और ऐसा करके अपनी प्रतिज्ञा पूर्ण कर लूँगा। अतः तुम उनन््हींकी ओर मुझे ले चलो। इन सबका संहार करके ही आज मैं अपने प्रिय सुहृद् पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनके पास चलूँगा
sūta uvāca | sātyakir uvāca—muṇḍān etān haniṣyāmi dānavān iva vāsavaḥ | tathā kṛtvā pratijñāṃ pūrayiṣyāmi | ataḥ tvam evān etān prati māṃ nayasva | eṣāṃ saṃhāraṃ kṛtvaiva adya priya-suhṛdaṃ pāṇḍu-nandanaṃ arjunaṃ prati yāsyāmi |
सात्यकिरुवाच—मुण्डानेतान् हनिष्यामि दानवानिव वासवः । प्रतिज्ञां पारयिष्यामि तस्मात् मां तेषु वाहय ॥ अद्यैव तान् विनिहत्याहं प्रियं यास्यामि पाण्डवम्—पाण्डुनन्दनमर्जुनम् ॥
सूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical force of a warrior’s vow and steadfast loyalty: Sātyaki frames his action as duty-bound resolve—fulfilling a pledged commitment before rejoining his ally Arjuna—while invoking Indra’s archetypal role as a protector who destroys hostile forces.
In the thick of battle, Sātyaki instructs his charioteer to drive him toward the Kāmboja fighters. He vows to kill them—likening his assault to Indra’s slaying of the Dānavas—and declares that only after completing this destruction will he proceed to Arjuna.