Shloka 23
Gandhārī’s Lament for Bhūriśravas and Śakuni
Book 11, Chapter 24
गान्धारराज: शकुनिर्बलवान् सत्यविक्रम: । निहतः सहदेवेन भागिनेयेन मातुल:,यह गान्धारदेशका राजा महाबली सत्यपराक्रमी शकुनि पड़ा हुआ है। इसे सहदेवने मारा है। भानजेने मामाके प्राण लिये हैं
gāndhārarājaḥ śakunir balavān satyavikramaḥ | nihataḥ sahadevena bhāgineyena mātulaḥ ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「ガンダーラの王シャクニ――強大にして、揺るがぬ武勇で名高き者――は討たれた。サハデーヴァは母方の叔父を斬り、甥が母の兄弟の命を奪ったのだ。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war corrodes ordinary moral boundaries: even relationships traditionally protected by affection and obligation—like nephew and maternal uncle—can be overridden by the demands of conflict, retribution, and perceived duty, leaving a residue of grief and ethical unease.
Vaiśampāyana reports that Śakuni, the king of Gandhāra, has been killed by Sahadeva. The statement stresses their family relation—Sahadeva as the nephew and Śakuni as the maternal uncle—intensifying the tragic weight of the killing.