Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 46
Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa
Resolve for the Mace Duel
त्रिशिखां भ्रुकुटीं कृत्वा संदष्टदशनच्छद: । प्रत्युवाच ततस्तान् वै पाण्डवान् सह केशवान्,उसने अपनी भौंहोंको तीन जगहसे टेढ़ी करके दाँतोंसे ओठको दबाया और श्रीकृष्णसहित पाण्डवोंसे इस प्रकार कहा
triśikhāṃ bhru-kuṭīṃ kṛtvā saṃdaṣṭa-daśana-cchadaḥ | pratyuvāca tatas tān vai pāṇḍavān saha keśavān ||
Sañjaya said: Having drawn his brows into a threefold frown and biting down upon his lips with clenched teeth, he then replied to the Pāṇḍavas—Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) being with them. The gesture signals restrained fury and inner resolve, a moment where emotion is held in check before speech, reflecting the tense moral atmosphere of war where words can harden intent or open a path to restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how inner emotion—especially anger—can be visibly restrained before it becomes action. In the ethical climate of the Mahābhārata’s war, such self-control at the threshold of speech matters: words spoken in wrath can seal violent resolve, while restraint can preserve discernment (dharma) even amid conflict.
Sañjaya describes a charged moment just before a reply is given to the Pāṇḍavas, with Kṛṣṇa present. The speaker’s physical signs—threefold frown and biting the lips—convey tension and suppressed anger, setting the tone for the forthcoming response.
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