Shloka 28

Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa

Resolve for the Mace Duel

Devanagari script

हन्तैक॑ भवतामेक: शक्‍यं मां योडभिमन्यते

Transliteration

hantaikaṁ bhavatām ekaḥ śakyaṁ māṁ yo 'bhimanyate

Translation

Duryodhana sprach: „Wohlan—nur einer von euch, wer immer sich dazu fähig wähnt, trete vor und stelle sich mir.“ In der Glut der Schlacht fordert er die gegnerischen Krieger zum Zweikampf heraus, strahlt Zuversicht und Trotz aus als Prüfung von Kraft und Ehre, während die letzten Schranken des Krieges zerbrechen.

Word by Word

हन्तindeed! / come! / well!

एकःone (person)

भवताम्of you (honorific plural)

एकःone (alone)

शक्यम्possible / feasible

माम्me

यःwho

उदभिमन्यतेthinks (himself able) / presumes / imagines

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the warrior-code emphasis on personal valor and public challenge, while also revealing how pride and overconfidence can drive escalation in war, testing the boundary between rightful martial duty and reckless arrogance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Kurukṣetra battle (Śalya Parva), Duryodhana addresses the opposing side and calls for any single warrior who believes himself capable to come forward and fight him.