संजय उवाच
धर्मराजस्य तद् वाक्यं निशम्य शिनिपुंगवः ॥
पार्थाच् च भयम् आशङ्कन् परित्यागान् महीपतेः ॥
अपवादं ह्य् आत्मनश् च लोकाद् रक्षन् विशेषतः ॥
न मां भीत इति ब्रूयुर् आयान्तं फल्गुनं प्रति ॥
निश्चित्य बहुधैवं स सात्यकिर् युद्धदुर्मदः ॥
धर्मराजम् इदं वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् पुरुषर्षभ ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
dharmarājasya tad vākyaṃ niśamya śinipuṃgavaḥ ||
pārthāc ca bhayam āśaṅkan parityāgān mahīpateḥ ||
apavādaṃ hy ātmanaś ca lokād rakṣan viśeṣataḥ ||
na māṃ bhīta iti brūyur āyāntaṃ phalgunaṃ prati ||
niścitya bahudhaivaṃ sa sātyakir yuddhadurmadaḥ ||
dharmarājam idaṃ vākyam abravīt puruṣarṣabha ||
Having heard that speech of the King of Dharma, the bull of the Shini race, fearing harm from Partha for abandoning the lord of the earth, and especially guarding himself against the world's reproach — lest they say of him, as he went to join Phalguna, "He was afraid" — having thus considered from every side, he, Satyaki, fierce in battle, spoke this speech to the King of Dharma, O bull among men.
bb59f32336fc · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:02:23 PM UTC
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Satyaki weighs not danger to life but two other things: Arjuna's reproach and people's talk of cowardice — "na mām bhītaḥ iti brūyuḥ," let them not say he was afraid. It is significant that for the noble, honor is dearer than life itself, and what frightens him is not death but dishonor. The verse teaches that a worthy man guards himself, above all, not against bodily destruction but against a stain on his good name; in deciding, he takes care that his action give no ground either to be reproached for unfaithfulness or to be suspected of faintheartedness.