Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 56
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
आविध्यत गदां राजन् समुद्दिश्य सुतं तव । अताडयदू भीमसेन: पाश्चे दुर्योधनं तदा
āvidhyata gadāṃ rājan samuddiśya sutaṃ tava | atāḍayad bhīmasenaḥ pārśve duryodhanaṃ tadā rājan ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, whirling his mace and fixing his aim upon your son, Bhīmasena then struck King Duryodhana on the side (at the flank/ribs).” The moment underscores the grim culmination of vowed enmity in war, where personal oaths and rage press against the boundaries of righteous combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the climactic violence of war, personal vows and hostility can drive actions that test the limits of dharma in combat; it invites reflection on whether victory pursued through rage and targeted injury aligns with righteous conduct.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma, having aimed at the king’s son Duryodhana, whirls his mace and strikes him on the side/flank, marking a decisive and brutal moment in their mace duel.
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