Shloka 47
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
सुशर्माणं रणे हत्वा पुत्रानस्य महारथान्
Suśarmāṇaṃ raṇe hatvā putrān asya mahārathān
Sañjaya said: Having slain Suśarmā in the battle, and also his sons—mighty chariot-warriors—(the narrative proceeds to describe the further course of the war). The line underscores the relentless moral weight of kṣatriya-duty in a fratricidal conflict, where valor and obligation drive acts that are grievous even when deemed lawful in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya-dharma in wartime: even when killing is framed as a duty within a righteous battle, it carries an ethical gravity—especially when entire lineages of warriors fall. It invites reflection on how dharma can demand terrible actions and how victory is inseparable from loss.
Sañjaya reports that Suśarmā has been slain in combat, along with his sons who are described as mahārathas (elite chariot-warriors). This functions as a battlefield update within the Shalya Parva’s ongoing account of major deaths and turning points late in the Kurukṣetra war.