Shloka 9
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
गजानीकं हतं दृष्टवा त्वां च प्राप्तमरिंदम । यावन्न विद्रवन्त्येते तावज्जहि सुयोधनम्,“शत्रुदमन! गजसेनाका वध और तुम्हारा आगमन हुआ देख ये कौरव-योद्धा जबतक भाग नहीं जाते तभीतक दुर्योधनको मार डालो
gajānīkaṁ hataṁ dṛṣṭvā tvāṁ ca prāptam ariṁdama | yāvan na vidravanty ete tāvaj jahi suyodhanam ||
桑阇耶说道：“噢，降敌者！他们见象军已灭，又见你到来；趁这些俱卢武士尚未丧胆溃散之时，立刻诛杀苏约陀那（杜尔约陀那）！”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights battlefield pragmatism: when the enemy’s morale is shaken (elephant-corps destroyed) and an opportunity arises, eliminating the principal leader is seen as the swiftest way to end wider violence. It also reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between ethical ideals and the harsh necessities perceived in war.
Sañjaya reports an urgent exhortation to a warrior addressed as ‘ariṁdama’: since the Kaurava elephant division has been destroyed and the addressee has arrived, he should immediately strike down Duryodhana before the remaining Kaurava fighters break formation and flee.