ते तु वैतस्तिका नाम शरा ह्य् आसन्नघातिनः ॥
निकृष्टयुद्धे द्रोणस्य नान्येषां सन्ति ते शराः ॥
शारद्वतस्य पार्थस्य द्रौणेर् वैकर्तनस्य च ॥
प्रद्युम्नयुयुधानाभ्याम् अभिमन्योश् च ते शराः ॥
अथास्येषुं समाधत्त दृढं परमसंशितम् ॥
अन्तेवासिनम् आचार्यो जिघांसुः पुत्रसंमितम् ॥
तं शरैर् दशभिस् तीक्ष्णैश् चिच्छेद शिनिपुंगवः ॥
पश्यतस् तव पुत्रस्य कर्णस्य च महात्मनः ॥
ग्रस्तम् आचार्यमुख्येन धृष्टद्युम्नम् अमोचयत् ॥
te tu vaitastikā nāma śarā hy āsannaghātinaḥ ||
nikṛṣṭayuddhe droṇasya nānyeṣāṃ santi te śarāḥ ||
śāradvatasya pārthasya drauṇer vaikartanasya ca ||
pradyumnayuyudhānābhyām abhimanyoś ca te śarāḥ ||
athāsyeṣuṃ samādhatta dṛḍhaṃ paramasaṃśitam ||
antevāsinam ācāryo jighāṃsuḥ putrasaṃmitam ||
taṃ śarair daśabhis tīkṣṇaiś ciccheda śinipuṃgavaḥ ||
paśyatas tava putrasya karṇasya ca mahātmanaḥ ||
grastam ācāryamukhyena dhṛṣṭadyumnam amocayat ||
Those [were] arrows, [called] vaitastika, for arrows, striking at close range, in close combat — belong to Drona; no one else has those arrows: [only] Sharadvata [Kripa], Partha [Arjuna], Drauni and Vaikartana [Karna], Pradyumna and Yuyudhana, and Abhimanyu — [only they] have those arrows. Then at him [Dhrishtadyumna] the teacher nocked an arrow, firm, exceedingly sharpened, [at] his pupil, craving to slay him, equal to a son [to him]. It, with his ten sharp arrows, the bull [of] Shini [Satyaki] cut, before the eyes of your son and great-souled Karna.
1e26994789f0 · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
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Satyaki cuts down the arrow Drona has aimed at his pupil, and saves Dhrishtadyumna: rescue comes at the fated moment. It is telling that the art of close combat is named the possession of only a few, the very greatest. The verse teaches that supreme mastery belongs to the chosen few, and it falls to them to save one another; and the rescue of one doomed man by a hand equally great is a sign that fate itself works through a fellowship of the valiant, not through solitary men.