तम् अभिद्रुत्य शैनेयो मुहूर्तम् इव भारत ॥
न जघान महाबाहुर् भीमसेनवचः स्मरन् ॥
भीमसेनेन हि वधः सुतानां तव भारत ॥
प्रतिज्ञातः सभामध्ये सर्वेषाम् एव संयुगे ॥
तथा दुःशासनं जित्वा सात्यकिः संयुगे प्रभो ॥
जगाम त्वरितो राजन् येन यातो धनंजयः ॥
tam abhidrutya śaineyo muhūrtam iva bhārata ||
na jaghāna mahābāhur bhīmasenavacaḥ smaran ||
bhīmasenena hi vadhaḥ sutānāṃ tava bhārata ||
pratijñātaḥ sabhāmadhye sarveṣām eva saṃyuge ||
tathā duḥśāsanaṃ jitvā sātyakiḥ saṃyuge prabho ||
jagāma tvarito rājan yena yāto dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
Rushing at him, Shaineya, the mighty-armed, did not slay him for a moment, O descendant of Bharata, remembering Bhimasena's word. For Bhimasena had vowed in the midst of the assembly the slaying of all your sons in battle. Thus, having vanquished Duhshasana in battle, Satyaki, O lord, moved on swiftly, O king, to where Dhananjaya had gone.
a9bb33a8c4e3 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:08:02 PM UTC
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Satyaki spares the helpless Duhshasana -- "na jaghāna... bhīmasenavacaḥ smaran," not killing him, mindful of Bhima's vow. Bhima swore in the assembly to slay Dhritarashtra's sons; Satyaki does not seize for himself a deed appointed to another. It is notable that nobility here honors another man's oath. The verse teaches that a worthy man does not steal from a friend the fulfillment of his vow: to leave an enemy alive so that another's word may come true is the highest respect for the oath he has sworn -- nobility places another's vow above one's own triumph.