Shloka 683

Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana

Devanagari script

खडगं चान्यतरप्रेप्सु्मत्योरग्रे जयस्य वा । तब कुन्तीकुमार भीमसेनने युद्धमें सम्मुख मृत्यु अथवा विजय इन दोमेंसे एकका निश्चिररूपसे वरण करनेकी इच्छा रखकर ढाल और सुवर्णभूषित तलवार हाथमें ले ली

Transliteration

khaḍgaṃ cānyataraprepsur mṛtyor agre jayasya vā | tataḥ kuntīkumāro bhīmaseno yuddhe sammukhaṃ mṛtyuṃ vā jayaṃ vā—etayor dvayor ekasya niścitarūpeṇa varaṇecchayā—śarma ca suvarṇabhūṣitaṃ khaḍgaṃ ca haste jagrāha |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Bhīmasena, the son of Kuntī, resolved to choose one of two certainties in the battle—death faced head-on or victory. With that unwavering intent, he took up his shield and a sword adorned with gold, ready to meet the outcome he had accepted in advance.

Word by Word

खड्गम्sword

चand

अन्यतरone of the two (either)

प्रेप्सुम्desiring to obtain

अत्योःexceedingly, very

अग्रेin front, at the fore

जयस्यof victory

वाor

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Kuntī

shield

gold-adorned sword

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya resolve: entering battle after accepting the two ultimate outcomes—death or victory—without wavering. Ethically, it frames courage as disciplined acceptance of consequence rather than reckless aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīma preparing to fight: he takes up his shield and a gold-ornamented sword, determined to face the battle directly, having resolved to accept either death or victory.