Shloka 37
Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa
Resolve for the Mace Duel
संक्षो भ्य सलिलं वेगाद् गदामादाय वीर्यवान् | अद्विसारमयीं गुर्वीं काड्चनाड्रद भूषणाम्
saṃkṣobhya salilaṃ vegād gadām ādāya vīryavān | advisāramayīṃ gurvīṃ kāñcanāṅgada-bhūṣaṇām ||
Sañjaya sprach: Mit jähem Ansturm wühlte er das Wasser auf, und der kraftvolle Krieger ergriff seine Keule — schwer, aus unnachgiebigem Metall gefertigt und mit goldenem Schmuck geziert — bereit für das grimme Werk der Schlacht.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the kṣatriya ethos of readiness and resolve: the warrior’s swift, decisive taking up of the mace highlights disciplined courage and preparedness in the face of imminent combat, while also reminding the reader that war is enacted through tangible instruments whose weight and hardness mirror the gravity of violence.
In Sañjaya’s report, a powerful warrior—moving with force—disturbs the waters and then grasps a heavy, unyielding mace adorned with golden ornaments, signaling immediate preparation for a mace-fight or close combat within the ongoing Kurukṣetra war events of Śalya Parva.