Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 4
Duryodhana-patana-anuśocana
The Fall of Duryodhana and the Contest of Restraint
भीमसेनस्तु धर्मेण युद्धयमानो न जेष्यति । अन्यायेन तु युध्यन् वै हन्यादेव सुयोधनम्
bhīmasenas tu dharmeṇa yuddhayamāno na jeṣyati | anyāyena tu yudhyan vai hanyād eva suyodhanam |
قال فاسوديفا: «إن واصل بهيماسينا القتال ملتزمًا بحدود الدارما فلن يقدر على الظفر. أما إن قاتل متجاوزًا تلك الحدود—بحيلةٍ جائرة—فإنه سيصرع سويودهانا (دوريودهانا) لا محالة.»
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a tension central to the epic: strict adherence to dharma in warfare may not always secure victory against an opponent perceived as adharma-driven, while victory achieved through anyāya (unrighteous means) carries ethical weight. It frames the coming act as a morally charged choice between rule-bound combat and outcome-driven transgression.
Vāyu-deva, Bhīma’s divine father, speaks about the decisive confrontation with Suyodhana (Duryodhana). He predicts that if Bhīma fights only by accepted rules, he will not prevail; but if Bhīma resorts to an unrighteous method, he will certainly be able to kill Duryodhana—foreshadowing the controversial manner of Duryodhana’s defeat.
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