Shloka 28
जयद्रथवधः — The Slaying of Jayadratha
Sunset Vow and Curse-Condition
अद्य द्रक्ष्यन्ति मे वीर्य कौरवा: ससुयोधना: । मुण्डानीके हते सूत सर्वसैन्येषु चासकृत्,आज दुर्योधनसहित समस्त कौरव मेरा पराक्रम देखेंगे। सूत! आज इन सिरमुण्डोंके मारे जाने तथा अन्य सारी सेनाओंका बारंबार विनाश होनेपर युद्धस्थलमें छिन्न-भिन्न होती हुई कौरव-सेनाका नाना प्रकारसे आर्तनाद सुनकर दुर्योधनको बड़ा संताप होगा
adya drakṣyanti me vīryaṃ kauravāḥ sa-suyodhanāḥ | muṇḍānīke hate sūta sarva-sainyeṣu cāsakṛt ||
Sūta said: “Today the Kauravas, together with Suyodhana (Duryodhana), shall witness my prowess. O charioteer, when Muṇḍānīka is slain and when, again and again, destruction is wrought among all the armies, the Kaurava host will be torn apart on the battlefield; hearing its many kinds of cries of anguish, Duryodhana will be seized by intense grief.”
सूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral psychology of war: pride in martial prowess and vows of destruction lead not only to physical ruin but also to inevitable sorrow. It underscores how violent triumph is inseparable from the suffering it produces, especially for leaders who stake their identity on victory.
The speaker (Sūta) reports a warrior’s declaration that the Kauravas, including Duryodhana, will soon witness his valor. He foretells the killing of Muṇḍānīka and repeated devastation across the armies, resulting in the Kaurava forces being shattered and Duryodhana tormented by the cries of the wounded and dying.