Shloka 19

शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni

with Ulūka’s fall

Devanagari script

तथा विनिहते सैन्ये पश्य दुर्योधनं स्थितम्‌ । अद्याल्वा हि महाराजो हतामित्रो भविष्यति

Transliteration

tathā vinihate sainye paśya duryodhanaṃ sthitam | adyālvā hi mahārājo hatāmitro bhaviṣyati ||

Translation

สัญชัยกล่าวว่า “เมื่อกองทัพถูกทำลายลงดังนี้แล้ว จงดูเถิด ทุรโยธนะยังยืนหยัดอยู่ วันนี้เองมหาราชาจะเป็นผู้ที่ศัตรูถูกสังหารสิ้น”

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

विनिहतेwhen (it is) slain/destroyed

सैन्येin the army

पश्यsee, behold

दुर्योधनम्Duryodhana

स्थितम्standing, stationed

अद्यtoday, now

अल्वाor else (variant reading/particle)

हिindeed, surely

महाराजःthe great king

हतामित्रःone whose enemies are slain

भविष्यतिwill become / will be

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Duryodhana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the precariousness of power in war: even after massive destruction, a king’s standing is judged by whether he can overcome his foes. It underscores how quickly royal fortune turns on the battlefield and how victory is framed as the elimination of enemies.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that, despite the army being heavily slain, Duryodhana is still standing firm, and he suggests that this very day Duryodhana may emerge as the great king who has slain his enemies.