Shloka 353

शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni

with Ulūka’s fall

Devanagari script

शूराणामश्चवपृष्ठेभ्य: शिरांसि निचकर्त ह । कुन्तीपुत्र अर्जुनने भी युद्धमें पराक्रम करके घोड़ोंकी पीठोंसे शूरवीरोंके मस्तक काट गिराये

Transliteration

śūrāṇām aśvāpṛṣṭhebhyaḥ śirāṃsi nicakarta ha | kuntīputro 'rjuno bhī yuddhe parākramaṃ kṛtvā ghoḍānāṃ pīṭhābhyaḥ śūravīrāṇāṃ mastakāni kāṭaṃ gīrāyām āsa ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Arjuna, the son of Kuntī, displayed fierce prowess in the battle, cutting down the heads of brave warriors from the backs of their horses. The scene underscores the terrible efficiency of martial skill in war—valor expressed through lethal action, where heroism and violence stand side by side under the demands of kṣatriya duty.

Word by Word

• शूराणाम्: of the heroes
• शूराणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अश्वपृष्ठेभ्यः: from the horses' backs
• अश्वपृष्ठेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वपृष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Plural

• शिरांसि: heads
• शिरांसि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• निचकर्त: he cut off
• निचकर्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + कृद्/कृत् (कृन्तति)
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), 3rd, Singular

• ह: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• Kuntī
• horses
• warriors