Shloka 10
Adhyāya 110: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament on Fate; Saṃjaya’s Reproof and the Princes’ Assault on Bhīma (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय ११०)
साहदेविस्तु त॑ ज्ञात्वा भ्रातृभिविमुखीकृतम् | क्षुरपप्रेण शिरो राजन् निचकर्त महात्मन:,राजन! अन्तमें सहदेवकुमारने यह जानकर कि मेरे भाइयोंने शलको युद्धसे विमुख कर दिया है, महामनस्वी शलके मस्तकको क्षुरप्रसे काट डाला
sāhadevīs tu taṁ jñātvā bhrātṛbhir vimukhīkṛtam | kṣurapapreṇa śiro rājan nicakarta mahātmanaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, when the son of Sahadeva realized that Śala had been turned away from the fight by his brothers, he struck down that great-souled warrior by severing his head with a razor-edged arrow—an act that underscores the ruthless finality of battlefield duty once a foe is isolated and rendered vulnerable.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh logic of kṣatriya warfare: once an opponent is separated from support and turned away from combat, the moment becomes decisive, and duty in war can override softer impulses—raising ethical tension between valor and compassion.
Sañjaya reports to the king that Sahadeva’s son, seeing Śala forced out of the fight by his brothers, uses a razor-edged arrow to sever Śala’s head, killing him swiftly.