Sahadeva and Nakula Swear to Kill Shakuni and the Kauravas
Hearing their elder brothers' oaths and the insults to Draupadi, Sahadeva swears to kill Shakuni and his kin, while Nakula vows to destroy the sons of Dhritarashtra.
When Arjuna finished speaking, Sahadeva, Madri’s handsome and powerful son, grasped his own large arms. His eyes were red with anger and he sighed like a serpent. Desiring to kill Soubala — Shakuni, the master of dice — he uttered his words.
“O foolish one! O destroyer of the fame of Gandhara!” he said. “What you thought were dice are not dice, but sharp arrows that you have invited in battle.” He pledged himself to the collective vow. “For you and your relatives, I will certainly accomplish what Bhima has said.” His promise was direct and personal. “I will do what I have to do and you can do everything that you wish to do. O Soubala! I will overpower you and swiftly kill you in battle with your relatives, if you stay and fight in accordance with the dharma of the kshatriyas.”
Hearing Sahadeva’s words, Nakula, the most handsome among men, added his own oath. He focused on the insult that had cut deepest. “At this gambling match, Dhritarashtra’s sons have used harsh and insulting words towards Yajnaseni, so as to bring pleasure to Duryodhana.” He condemned them as men already marked for death. “These sons of Dhritarashtra are evil and summoned by destiny, are soon to die. In their great numbers, I will show them the abode of Vaivasvata” — the domain of Yama, the god of death.
His vow was one of purification. “On Dharmaraja’s instructions and following Droupadi’s footsteps, I will soon relieve the earth of the sons of Dhritarashtra.” With that, the set of oaths was complete. Having extended their arms to take these many vows, all these tigers among men went to Dhritarashtra to take their formal leave for exile.