Shloka 9
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
गजानीकं हतं दृष्टवा त्वां च प्राप्तमरिंदम । यावन्न विद्रवन्त्येते तावज्जहि सुयोधनम्,“शत्रुदमन! गजसेनाका वध और तुम्हारा आगमन हुआ देख ये कौरव-योद्धा जबतक भाग नहीं जाते तभीतक दुर्योधनको मार डालो
gajānīkaṁ hataṁ dṛṣṭvā tvāṁ ca prāptam ariṁdama | yāvan na vidravanty ete tāvaj jahi suyodhanam ||
Sañjaya sprach: „O Bezwinger der Feinde, da sie das vernichtete Elefantenheer sehen und dich herankommen sehen, erschlage Suyodhana (Duryodhana) unverzüglich—ehe diese Kaurava-Krieger den Mut verlieren und in die Flucht auseinanderstieben.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights battlefield pragmatism: when the enemy’s morale is shaken (elephant-corps destroyed) and an opportunity arises, eliminating the principal leader is seen as the swiftest way to end wider violence. It also reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between ethical ideals and the harsh necessities perceived in war.
Sañjaya reports an urgent exhortation to a warrior addressed as ‘ariṁdama’: since the Kaurava elephant division has been destroyed and the addressee has arrived, he should immediately strike down Duryodhana before the remaining Kaurava fighters break formation and flee.