Shloka 38
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
अर्जुन वासुदेवं च शरवर्षरवाकिरन् । तब वे त्रिगर्तदेशीय महारथी एक साथ होकर अर्जुन और श्रीकृष्णको अपने बाणोंकी वर्षसे आच्छादित करने लगे ।।
sañjaya uvāca | arjunaṃ vāsudevaṃ ca śaravarṣair avākiran | tataḥ te trigartadeśīyā mahārathā ekasāthaṃ bhūtvā arjunaṃ śrīkṛṣṇaṃ ca bāṇavarṣair ācchādayām āsuḥ || satyakarmāṇam ārakṣipya kṣurapreṇa mahāyaśāḥ śiraś ciccheda sahasā taptakuṇḍalabhūṣaṇam | prabho! tadā mahāyaśasā pāṇḍunandanena arjunena kṣurapreṇa satyakarmāṇam abhihatyāsya rathasya īṣāṃ (harṣāṃ) ciccheda | tataḥ sa mahāyaśā vīraḥ śilāparitejitena kṣurapreṇa tasya taptasuvarṇakuṇḍalabhūṣitaṃ mastakaṃ sahasā ciccheda ||
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Ang mga mandirigma ng Trigarta ay nagpaulan ng mga palaso kay Arjuna at kay Vasudeva (Krishna), upang tabunan ang bayani at ang kanyang tagapagmaneho sa ilalim ng unos ng mga sandata. Pagkaraan, si Arjuna, ang tanyag na anak ni Pāṇḍu, ay tumama kay Satyakarman sa pamamagitan ng palasong matalim na parang labaha, at pinutol ang poste ng karwahe; at agad pagkatapos, gamit ang palasong labaha na hinasa sa bato, pinugot niya ang ulo ni Satyakarman—na may suot na maiinit na gintong hikaw—nang mabilis at walang pag-aalinlangan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral landscape of war: coordinated aggression invites decisive counteraction, and martial excellence—when exercised within a warrior’s role—brings swift consequences. It also frames Krishna’s presence beside Arjuna as steady guidance amid chaos, while not softening the reality of violence.
Trigarta’s elite chariot-warriors jointly shower Arjuna and Krishna with arrows. Arjuna responds by striking Satyakarman: first severing the chariot’s pole, then cutting off Satyakarman’s head with a razor-edged, stone-whetted arrow.