Shloka 40
Sainyasaṅgraha and Bhāga-Vyavasthā (Forces Assembled and Rival Allocations) | सैन्यसंग्रह-भागव्यवस्था
न मामकान् पाण्डवास्ते समर्था: प्रतिवीक्षितुम् पराक्रान्तो हाहं पाण्डून् सपुत्रान् योद्धुमाहवे
na māmakān pāṇḍavās te samarthāḥ prativīkṣitum parākrānto hāhaṃ pāṇḍūn saputrān yoddhum āhave
Duryodhana erklärt: „Jene Pāṇḍavas sind nicht einmal imstande, meiner Partei ins Auge zu sehen. Ich, voll von Tatkraft, werde selbst auf dem Schlachtfeld gegen die Söhne Pāṇḍus kämpfen — samt ihren Söhnen.“
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how pride and overconfidence distort judgment: instead of seeking a dharmic settlement, Duryodhana frames the conflict as a test of personal valor, normalizing violence and dismissing the opponent’s worth—an ethical warning about ego-driven escalation.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and preparations, Duryodhana speaks defiantly, asserting that the Pāṇḍavas cannot even confront his side and that he himself will fight Pāṇḍu’s sons (and their sons) in battle, signaling his resolve for war.