Shloka 3
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
शत्रवों हतभूयिष्ठा ज्ञातय: परिपालिता: । गृहीत्वा संजयं चासौ निवृत्त: शिनिपुड्भव:
sañjaya uvāca |
śatravo hatabhūyiṣṭhā jñātayaḥ paripālitāḥ |
gṛhītvā sañjayaṃ cāsau nivṛttaḥ śinipuḍbhavaḥ |
Sañjaya disse: “Ó Bhārata, a maior parte dos guerreiros inimigos foi abatida, e os nossos parentes foram protegidos. E olha—Sātyaki, o mais eminente entre os Śinis, capturou Sañjaya e agora retorna trazendo-o consigo.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic central to kṣatriya-dharma: the aim is not mere destruction but securing one’s side—protecting one’s own people while neutralizing hostile forces. It also shows that war includes restraint and control (taking a captive) alongside killing.
Sañjaya reports that the enemy has suffered heavy losses and that their own kinsmen have been safeguarded. He then points out that Sātyaki, a leading warrior of the Śini clan, has captured a man named Sañjaya and is returning with him as a prisoner.