आचार्यो लघुहस्तत्वाद् अभेद्यकवचावृतः ॥
उपलभ्य रणे क्रीडेद् यथा शकुनिना शिशुः ॥
यदि कार्ष्णिर् धनुष्पाणिर् इह स्यान् मकरध्वजः ॥
तस्मै त्वां विसृजेयं वै स त्वां रक्षेद् यथार्जुनः ॥
कुरु त्वम् आत्मनो गुप्तिं कस् ते गोप्ता गते मयि ॥
यः प्रतीयाद् रणे द्रोणं यावद् गच्छामि पाण्डवम् ॥
ācāryo laghuhastatvād abhedyakavacāvṛtaḥ ||
upalabhya raṇe krīḍed yathā śakuninā śiśuḥ ||
yadi kārṣṇir dhanuṣpāṇir iha syān makaradhvajaḥ ||
tasmai tvāṃ visṛjeyaṃ vai sa tvāṃ rakṣed yathārjunaḥ ||
kuru tvam ātmano guptiṃ kas te goptā gate mayi ||
yaḥ pratīyād raṇe droṇaṃ yāvad gacchāmi pāṇḍavam ||
The teacher [Drona], owing to nimbleness of hand, clothed in impenetrable armor, having overtaken you would toy with you in battle as a child with a bird [on a string]. If the son of Krishna [Pradyumna], bow in hand, bearing the banner with the makara, were here, I would entrust you to him — he would guard you as Arjuna would. See to your own protection: who is your guardian once I have gone, who would withstand Drona in battle while I go to the son of Pandu?
1a1ab6b5693e · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:02:23 PM UTC
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The image of Drona's terrible might: he 'krīḍet yathā śakuninā śiśuḥ', would play with the king as a child plays with a bird on a string. Satyaki does not flatter but soberly weighs the danger. It is significant that true devotion does not close its eyes to difficulty but looks it in the face. The verse teaches that faithfulness is not blind self-assurance: one who loves serves not carelessly but with open eyes, gauging the danger so as not to leave the beloved without due protection upon departing.