Shloka 173

Devanagari script

अभ्यद्रवन्त शैनेयमसंख्येयाश्ष पत्तय: । तत्पश्चात्‌ एक हजार रथी

Transliteration

abhyadravanta śaineyam asaṅkhyeyāś ca pattayaḥ | tatpaścāt eka-sahasra-rathī, śata-mahārathī, eka-sahasra-hastī ca dvi-sahasra-aśvārūḍhāḥ bahavaś ca mahārathā asaṅkhyeyāś ca padātayaḥ sātyakim nānā-vidhaiḥ śaraiḥ varṣayantaḥ samantāt pratyapatanta |

Translation

桑阇耶说道：无数步卒奔袭沙伊内耶（萨底耶吉）。继而又有一千乘战车、一百名大车战士（摩诃罗提）、一千头战象与两千骑兵；并有许多强悍勇士与不可胜数的步兵，从四面八方涌向萨底耶吉，万箭齐发，如雨倾泻。此景显出战争无情的势头：一位秉持正法的盟友，独受压倒性兵力的考验；勇气并非在顺遂中衡量，而在群暴如潮之际仍能坚守不移。

Word by Word

• अभ्यद्रवन्त: ran towards, charged
• अभ्यद्रवन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√द्रु (द्रवति)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

• शैनेयम्: upon Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• शैनेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैनेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• असंख्येयाः: countless
• असंख्येयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंख्येय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पत्तयः: foot-soldiers
• पत्तयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्: then/that (thereafter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात्
• Form: true

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• infantry (pattayaḥ/padātayaḥ)
• chariot-warriors (rathī)
• great chariot-warriors (mahārathī)
• war-elephants (hastī)
• horsemen/cavalry (aśvārūḍhāḥ)
• arrows (śarāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights steadfastness under extreme pressure: dharma in war is tested when a lone ally faces overwhelming numbers, and ethical strength appears as courage, discipline, and refusal to abandon one’s duty despite fear and violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki (Śaineya) is charged by innumerable infantry, followed by large formations of chariots, elite chariot-warriors, elephants, and cavalry, all attacking from every side while raining diverse arrows upon him.