Shloka 47
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
न वत्विदानीमहं मन्ये कार्य युद्धेन कर्हिचित् । द्रोणे कर्णे च संशान्ते निहते च पितामहे,किंतु जब द्रोण और कर्ण शान्त हो गये तथा पितामह भीष्म मार डाले गये तो अब मेरी रायमें कभी भी इस युद्धकी कोई आवश्यकता नहीं रही
na vatv idānīm ahaṁ manye kāryaṁ yuddhena karhicit | droṇe karṇe ca saṁśānte nihate ca pitāmahe |
Duryodhana said: “Now I do not think there is any purpose to be served by this war at any time. When Droṇa and Karṇa have been brought to silence, and when the grandsire has been slain, what need remains for continuing this conflict?”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and strategic emptiness that follows a war driven by pride and adharma: once the great protectors and champions are gone, the conflict’s supposed aims collapse, revealing only loss and futility.
Duryodhana reflects on the battlefield situation in the Shalya Parva, expressing that after the fall or cessation of key figures—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and Karṇa—he sees no remaining purpose in continuing the war.