Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 38
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
अर्जुन वासुदेवं च शरवर्षरवाकिरन् । तब वे त्रिगर्तदेशीय महारथी एक साथ होकर अर्जुन और श्रीकृष्णको अपने बाणोंकी वर्षसे आच्छादित करने लगे ।।
sañjaya uvāca | arjunaṃ vāsudevaṃ ca śaravarṣair avākiran | tataḥ te trigartadeśīyā mahārathā ekasāthaṃ bhūtvā arjunaṃ śrīkṛṣṇaṃ ca bāṇavarṣair ācchādayām āsuḥ || satyakarmāṇam ārakṣipya kṣurapreṇa mahāyaśāḥ śiraś ciccheda sahasā taptakuṇḍalabhūṣaṇam | prabho! tadā mahāyaśasā pāṇḍunandanena arjunena kṣurapreṇa satyakarmāṇam abhihatyāsya rathasya īṣāṃ (harṣāṃ) ciccheda | tataḥ sa mahāyaśā vīraḥ śilāparitejitena kṣurapreṇa tasya taptasuvarṇakuṇḍalabhūṣitaṃ mastakaṃ sahasā ciccheda ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Los guerreros de Trigarta cubrieron a Arjuna y a Vasudeva (Krishna) con una lluvia de flechas, queriendo sepultar al héroe y a su auriga bajo aquella tormenta de proyectiles. Entonces Arjuna, el ilustre hijo de Pāṇḍu, hirió a Satyakarman con una saeta de filo de navaja y cortó el timón del carro; e inmediatamente después, con otra flecha de filo aguzado, afilada en piedra, le cercenó la cabeza a Satyakarman—adornada con pendientes de oro al rojo—con rapidez y decisión.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral landscape of war: coordinated aggression invites decisive counteraction, and martial excellence—when exercised within a warrior’s role—brings swift consequences. It also frames Krishna’s presence beside Arjuna as steady guidance amid chaos, while not softening the reality of violence.
Trigarta’s elite chariot-warriors jointly shower Arjuna and Krishna with arrows. Arjuna responds by striking Satyakarman: first severing the chariot’s pole, then cutting off Satyakarman’s head with a razor-edged, stone-whetted arrow.