Shloka 26

Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha

Verbal Duel and Omens

Devanagari script

तावुद्यतगदापाणी दुर्योधनवृकोदरौ

Transliteration

tāv udyatagadāpāṇī duryodhanavṛkodarau

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then those two—Duryodhana and Vṛkodara—stood with maces raised in their hands, poised for combat.

Word by Word

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• उद्यत-गदा-पाणी: having hands holding raised maces
• उद्यत-गदा-पाणी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यतगदापाणि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• दुर्योधन-वृकोदरौ: Duryodhana and Vṛkodara (Bhīma)
• दुर्योधन-वृकोदरौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधनवृकोदर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Vṛkodara (Bhīma)
• gadā (mace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of readiness and courage in battle, while implicitly reminding the reader that martial prowess, when driven by rivalry and pride, culminates in destructive consequences—an ethical tension central to the Mahābhārata.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Duryodhana and Bhīma (Vṛkodara) facing each other with maces raised, signaling the immediate onset of their climactic mace duel.