Shloka 4
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
परिश्रान्तश्न नकुल: सहदेवश्व भारत । योधयित्वा रणे पापान् धार्तराष्ट्रानू सहानुगान्
pariśrāntaś ca nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca bhārata | yodhayitvā raṇe pāpān dhārtarāṣṭrān sahānugān ||
Wahai Bhārata, Nakula dan Sahadeva pun telah sangat letih, setelah bertempur di medan perang melawan putra-putra Dhṛtarāṣṭra yang durjana beserta para pengikutnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the human cost of war—exhaustion and strain—even for righteous warriors, while also framing the Kaurava side as morally culpable (“pāpān”), reflecting the epic’s ethical evaluation of motives and conduct in battle.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Nakula and Sahadeva, after fighting the Kauravas along with their followers on the battlefield, have become greatly fatigued.