क्षीणायुधे सात्वते युध्यमाने; ततो ऽब्रवीद् अर्जुनं वासुदेवः ॥
पश्यस्वैनं विरथं युध्यमानं; रणे केतुं सर्वधनुर्धराणाम् ॥
प्रविष्टो भारतीं सेनां तव पाण्डव पृष्ठतः ॥
योधितश् च महावीर्यैः सर्वैर् भारत भारतैः ॥
परिश्रान्तो युधां श्रेष्ठः संप्राप्तो भूरिदक्षिणम् ॥
युद्धकाङ्क्षिणम् आयान्तं नैतत् समम् इवार्जुन ॥
kṣīṇāyudhe sātvate yudhyamāne; tato 'bravīd arjunaṃ vāsudevaḥ ||
paśyasvainaṃ virathaṃ yudhyamānaṃ; raṇe ketuṃ sarvadhanurdharāṇām ||
praviṣṭo bhāratīṃ senāṃ tava pāṇḍava pṛṣṭhataḥ ||
yodhitaś ca mahāvīryaiḥ sarvair bhārata bhārataiḥ ||
pariśrānto yudhāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ saṃprāpto bhūridakṣiṇam ||
yuddhakāṅkṣiṇam āyāntaṃ naitat samam ivārjuna ||
When Satvata's weapons had run out, as he fought, Vasudeva then spoke to Arjuna: "Look at him, chariotless, fighting in the battle -- the banner of all bowmen. Having entered the Bharata army, following after you, O Pandava, and engaged in combat by all the mighty Bharatas, O Bharata, the best of warriors is exhausted; he has come upon Bhuridakshina [Bhurishravas], fresh and desiring battle -- this is not an equal match, O Arjuna."
fe052f99241e · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
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Krishna points out the inequality: the exhausted, weaponless Satyaki against the fresh Bhurishravas -- "this is not an equal match." It is telling that Satyaki's exhaustion is the fruit of his own feat, of his path through the entire army for Arjuna's sake. The verse teaches that valor spent in service deserves protection; and to see an inequality of strength threatening a faithful friend is cause not for admiring the duel from afar, but for active compassion.