Shloka 253
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
निहतं विद्धि वार्ष्णेय धार्तराष्ट्रं सुबालिशम् | वृष्णिनन्दन श्रीकृष्ण! यदि वह मेरे भयसे युद्धसे भाग न जाय, तो मेरे द्वारा उस मूढ़ दुर्योधनको आप मारा गया ही समझें
sañjaya uvāca |
nihataṃ viddhi vārṣṇeya dhārtarāṣṭraṃ subāliśam |
vṛṣṇinandana śrīkṛṣṇa yadi sa me bhayād yuddhād bhāgaṃ na yāsyati |
to mayā taṃ mūḍhaṃ duryodhanaṃ hataṃ eva manyasva ||
Sañjaya dit : « Ô Vārṣṇeya, sache que le fils insensé de Dhṛtarāṣṭra est comme déjà mort. Ô Śrī Kṛṣṇa, joie des Vṛṣṇi : s’il ne s’enfuit pas du combat par crainte de moi, tiens ce Duryodhana égaré pour déjà tué de ma main. »
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical contrast between steadfastness and delusion in war: Duryodhana is portrayed as ‘subāliśa’ and ‘mūḍha’—driven by misguided pride—while the speaker frames the outcome as already decided if he refuses to retreat. It underscores how adharma-born obstinacy leads toward inevitable ruin.
Sanjaya addresses Kṛṣṇa using honorific epithets and declares that Duryodhana is effectively already dead. He asserts that if Duryodhana does not flee the battlefield out of fear, then Sanjaya’s side (or the threatening warrior implied) will surely kill him—expressing confidence in Duryodhana’s impending defeat.