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 declares that those Pāṇḍavas are not capable of even facing his own party. He boasts of his own prowess and proclaims that he himself will fight the sons of Pāṇḍu, together with their sons, in the battlefield.
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.