स वत्सदन्तं संधाय जिह्मगानलसंनिभम् ॥
आकृष्य राजन्न् आकर्णाद् विव्याधोरसि सात्यकिम् ॥
स तस्य देहावरणं भित्त्वा देहं च सायकः ॥
सपत्रपुङ्खः पृथिवीं विवेश रुधिरोक्षितः ॥
अथास्य बहुभिर् बाणैर् अच्छिनत् परमास्त्रवित् ॥
समार्गणगुणं राजन् कृतवर्मा शरासनम् ॥
sa vatsadantaṃ saṃdhāya jihmagānalasaṃnibham ||
ākṛṣya rājann ākarṇād vivyādhorasi sātyakim ||
sa tasya dehāvaraṇaṃ bhittvā dehaṃ ca sāyakaḥ ||
sapatrapuṅkhaḥ pṛthivīṃ viveśa rudhirokṣitaḥ ||
athāsya bahubhir bāṇair acchinat paramāstravit ||
samārgaṇaguṇaṃ rājan kṛtavarmā śarāsanam ||
He, having fitted an arrow with a calf's-tooth head, resembling the crooked flame of a serpent, drawing it back, o king, to his ear, struck Satyaki in the chest. That arrow, piercing his armor and body, entered the earth feather-end and all, drenched in blood. Then Kritavarman, supreme knower of weapons, with many arrows cut Satyaki's bow together with its string and arrow, o king.
b90231e57330 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:02:23 PM UTC
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Satyaki takes a grievous wound — the arrow, "bhittvā dehaṃ… viveśa rudhirokṣitaḥ," piercing his body, goes into the earth. Yet his breakthrough is not stopped by this. It is telling that the faithful one pays for the cause with his own blood, without retreating. The verse teaches that service to what is dear demands a price in flesh: whoever goes toward a high goal does not escape wounds, and shed blood does not turn him from his path — for the body is vulnerable, but resolve remains unwounded.