Mahabharata 9.31.33 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 31, Shloka 33

गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel

Devanagari script

क्व ते तत्‌ पौरुषं यातं क्व च मान: सुयोधन । क्व च विक्रान्तता याता कक्‍्व च विस्फूर्जितं महत्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | kva te tat pauruṣaṃ yātaṃ kva ca mānaḥ suyodhana | kva ca vikrāntatā yātā kva ca visphūrjitaṃ mahat |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „O Suyodhana, wohin ist deine männliche Tapferkeit entschwunden? Wo ist nun dein Stolz? Wohin ist dein Heldentum gegangen, und wo ist dein großes Brüllen und Prahlen? (Und wo ist deine Waffenkenntnis geblieben?) Wie kannst du in diesem See zu solcher Zeit schlafen? O Spross der Bharatas, steh auf und kämpfe gemäß der Pflicht eines Kṣatriya.“

Word by Word

• क्व: where?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व

• ते: of you/your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• तत्: that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• पौरुषम्: manliness, valor
• पौरुषम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरुष
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• यातम्: gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• क्व: where?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मानः: pride, self-esteem
• मानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुयोधन: O Suyodhana (Duryodhana)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुयोधन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्व: where?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विक्रान्तता: heroic prowess, valor
• विक्रान्तता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रान्तता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• याता: gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• क्व: where?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विस्फूर्जितम्: roaring, bellowing
• विस्फूर्जितम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्फूर्जित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• महत्: great, mighty
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Suyodhana (Duryodhana)
• Bharata (as a dynastic epithet)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma: a warrior must not abandon courage and responsibility in crisis. It also critiques hollow pride and mere boasting, insisting that true honor is shown through steadfast action aligned with duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a sharp rebuke directed at Suyodhana (Duryodhana), who is hiding/resting in a lake after setbacks. The speaker taunts him by contrasting his former bravado with his present withdrawal, urging him to rise and fight as a kṣatriya.