Shloka 48
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
ततो<स्य निशितैर्बाणै: सर्वान् हत्वा पदानुगान्
tato 'sya niśitair bāṇaiḥ sarvān hatvā padānugān
Sañjaya said: Then, with his razor-sharp arrows, he slew all those who were following in his footsteps—his attendants and supporters—cutting down the very train that sustained his advance in the battle. In the brutal ethic of war, this act shows how the destruction of a leader’s immediate followers can collapse his momentum and isolate him amid the chaos of combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield reality within kṣatriya-dharma: removing a warrior’s immediate followers and support can decisively weaken him. Ethically, it reflects the harsh, consequential logic of war where protection, loyalty, and proximity to power also bring grave risk.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior (referred to as 'him') uses sharp arrows to kill all the 'padānugāḥ'—those moving behind him as attendants or followers—thereby isolating him in the ongoing combat.