Pandavas
Satanika
शतानीक
The Matsya Who Filled the Gap
Who was Satanika?
Satanika (शतानीक): The Matsya Who Filled the Gap, one of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata. Younger brother of Virata, king of the Matsyas.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | शतानीक |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | The Matsya Who Filled the Gap |
| Faction | Pandavas |
| Key traits | brave, loyal, quick, reckless |
| Notable relationships | Brother: Virata, Slain by: Drona, Defender: Yudhishthira, Fellow guard: Satyajit |
| Featured in | 4 stories |
About Satanika
Younger brother of Virata, king of the Matsyas. On the twelfth day of the war, after Drona had beheaded Satyajit and Yudhishthira had fled the field exactly as Arjuna had instructed, Satanika drove at the preceptor to fill the same gap, pierced him and his driver and his steeds with six bright shafts, and shouted. Drona took off his earringed head with a razor-headed arrow before the shout had finished, and the Matsya division broke.
In Their Words
The Panchala is down. Someone must stand where he stood.
Satanika
Traits
- brave
- loyal
- quick
- reckless
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Satanika
3 further tales on this site name Satanika, in canonical reading order.
Character Arc
- The Gap in the LineSatyajit down, and the king's chariot already running
- Six Shafts and a ShoutA charge at the finest bowman on the field
- The Head With EarringsOne razor-headed arrow, and a division in flight
Key Relationships
- BrotherVirata
- Slain byDrona
- DefenderYudhishthira
- Fellow guardSatyajit
Places in Satanika's Story
Drawn from the stories Satanika appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Pandavas.