Shloka 20
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
“निश्चय ही इस पृथ्वीपर किसीको भी कालसे छुटकारा नहीं मिलता, तभी तो इस प्रकार अपनी सेनाका संहार होनेपर भी दुर्योधन युद्धके लिये खड़ा है, उसे देखिये। आजके दिन महाराज युधिष्ठिर शत्रुहीन हो जायँगे ।।
niścaya hi asmin pṛthivyāṁ kasyacid api kālāt mucyate na; tasmād evaṁ svāṁ senāṁ saṁhṛtām api dṛṣṭvā duryodhanaḥ yuddhāya tiṣṭhati—taṁ paśyata. adya dine mahārāja yudhiṣṭhiraḥ śatru-hīnaḥ bhaviṣyati. na hi me mokṣyate kaścit pareṣām iha cintaye; ye tv adya samaraṁ kṛṣṇa na hāsyanti madotkaṭāḥ.
Wika ni Sañjaya: “Tunay, sa ibabaw ng daigdig ay walang sinumang nakatatakas sa pagkakahawak ng Panahon. Kaya si Duryodhana, kahit nakita na niyang nalipol ang sarili niyang hukbo, ay nakatindig pa ring handa sa digmaan—masdan siya. Sa araw na ito, ang Haring Yudhiṣṭhira ay magiging walang kaaway. Ngunit ako, hindi ako umaasang may sinuman dito ang maliligtas; iniisip ko lamang ang sasapitin ng iba. Yaong mga lasing sa pagmamataas at hindi tatalikod sa labanan ngayon, O Kṛṣṇa, ay nagmamadaling tumungo sa kanilang wakas.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the inevitability of Kāla (Time/Death): no one escapes it. It also critiques mada (pride) that drives warriors to persist in violence even when ruin is evident, contrasting cosmic inevitability with human delusion and stubbornness.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that despite catastrophic losses, Duryodhana still stands ready to fight. He foresees that the day will end with Yudhishthira effectively free of enemies, as those who refuse to withdraw from battle out of pride will be destroyed.