Shloka 236
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
श्रुत्वा पतींक्ष पुत्रांश्ष पाण्डवैर्निहतान् युधि । “आज हस्तिनापुरकी वे सारी स्त्रियाँ भी युद्धमें पाण्डवोंके हाथसे अपने पतियों और पुत्रोंको मारा गया सुनकर फूट-फूटकर रोयेंगी
śrutvā patīn putrāṁś ca pāṇḍavair nihatān yudhi |
Sañjaya said: Hearing that their husbands and sons have been slain in battle by the Pāṇḍavas, the women of Hastināpura will wail and weep uncontrollably. The verse underscores the moral aftermath of war: victory on the field inevitably becomes grief in the homes, especially for those left behind.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical cost of war: even when framed as a righteous struggle, the immediate human result is bereavement. It draws attention to the suffering of non-combatants—especially women—whose lives are shattered by the deaths of husbands and sons.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, anticipates the reaction in Hastināpura: upon hearing that the Pāṇḍavas have slain many men in battle, the city’s women will break down in intense mourning.