Shloka 5
विराटसभायां पाण्डवानां प्रवेशः — Arjuna’s Encomium of Yudhiṣṭhira in Virāṭa’s Court
दुर्योधनश्वापि तमुग्रतेजा: पार्थश्व दुर्योधनमेकवीर: । अन्योन्यमाजोौ पुरुषप्रवीरी समौ समाजग्मतुराजमीढौ
duryodhanaś cāpi tam ugratejāḥ pārthaś ca duryodhanam ekavīraḥ | anyonyam ājau puruṣapravīrau samau samājagmatur ājamīḍhau ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then the mighty Duryodhana charged at Arjuna, and Arjuna—the peerless hero—charged back at Duryodhana. In the thick of battle those two foremost men, equal in prowess and both descended from the line of Ajamīḍha, rushed upon one another with great speed, each meeting the other head-on. The scene underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension: personal valor and royal pride drive combat even when the larger moral order (dharma) is at stake.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how kṣatriya valor and personal pride can propel warriors into direct confrontation; it implicitly invites reflection on whether mere equality in martial power is sufficient, or whether dharma and right purpose should govern the use of strength.
In the battle episode of the Virāṭa Parva, Duryodhana and Arjuna rush at each other simultaneously, meeting as evenly matched champions—both renowned heroes of the Ajamīḍha-descended royal line.