किरातैश् च समेष्यामि विषकल्पैः प्रहारिभिः ॥
लालितैः सततं राज्ञा दुर्योधनहितैषिभिः ॥
शकैश् चापि समेष्यामि शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमैः ॥
अग्निकल्पैर् दुराधर्षैः प्रदीप्तैर् इव पावकैः ॥
तथान्यैर् विविधैर् योधैः कालकल्पैर् दुरासदैः ॥
समेष्यामि रणे राजन् बहुभिर् युद्धदुर्मदैः ॥
kirātaiś ca sameṣyāmi viṣakalpaiḥ prahāribhiḥ ||
lālitaiḥ satataṃ rājñā duryodhanahitaiṣibhiḥ ||
śakaiś cāpi sameṣyāmi śakratulyaparākramaiḥ ||
agnikalpair durādharṣaiḥ pradīptair iva pāvakaiḥ ||
tathānyair vividhair yodhaiḥ kālakalpair durāsadaiḥ ||
sameṣyāmi raṇe rājan bahubhir yuddhadurmadaiḥ ||
“And I shall meet the Kiratas — strikers like poison, ever cherished by the king, wishing well for Duryodhana. And I shall also meet the Shakas — equal to Shakra in valor, like fire, unconquerable, like blazing fires. And also with other varied warriors, like Time, hard to approach, I shall meet in battle, o king, with many, furious in battle.”
6fdb5bf0db47 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:02:23 PM UTC
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Satyaki reckons up his formidable foes — the Shakas, equal to Indra in valor, like fire — without belittling their strength. It is telling that he praises the valor of his enemies without fearing it. The verse teaches that true courage needs no diminishing of the foe: the brave man honestly acknowledges the fearsomeness of those he will meet, and his valor is only exalted by it — for to surpass one acknowledged as strong is more worthy than to overcome one dismissed in advance.