Mahabharata 9.57.50 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 57, Shloka 50

Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57

Devanagari script

गदानिपातं प्रज्ञाय भीमसेनं च वज्चितम्‌ | वज्चयित्वा तदा भीम॑ गदया कुरुसत्तम:

Transliteration

gadānipātaṁ prajñāya bhīmasenaṁ ca vañcitam | vañcayitvā tadā bhīmaṁ gadayā kurusattamaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Als er den abwärts geführten Keulenschlag erkannte und sah, dass Bhīmasena einen Augenblick getäuscht war, überlistete der Beste der Kurus Bhīma und traf ihn mit seiner Keule.

Word by Word

• गदा-निपातम्: the fall/strike of the mace
• गदा-निपातम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा-निपात
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रज्ञाय: having understood/knowing
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ज्ञा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• भीमसेनम्: Bhimasena
• भीमसेनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• वञ्चितम्: deceived/outwitted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वञ्चित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वञ्चयित्वा: having deceived/outwitted
• Type: Verb
• Root: वञ्च्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund) in -त्वा, Parasmaipada (usage)

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• भीमम्: Bhima
• भीमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• कुरु-सत्तमः: the best of the Kurus (Duryodhana)
• कुरु-सत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-सत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• gadā (mace)
• kurusattamaḥ (foremost Kuru; Duryodhana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that in war, mere power is insufficient; discernment (prajñā), vigilance, and tactical timing can decide outcomes. It also raises the ethical tension between straightforward valor and battlefield deception within kṣatriya conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates a moment in the mace duel: the foremost Kuru warrior recognizes the trajectory of a mace-stroke, exploits Bhīma’s brief misstep, and counters by deceiving/outmaneuvering him and landing a mace blow.