Shloka 34
Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa
Resolve for the Mace Duel
पुरुषो भव गान्धारे युध्यस्व सुसमाहित: । अद्य ते जीवितं नास्ति यदीन्द्रोडपि तवाश्रयः
puruṣo bhava gāndhāre yudhyasva susamāhitaḥ | adya te jīvitaṃ nāsti yadīndro 'pi tavāśrayaḥ ||
Dijo Yudhiṣṭhira: «Sé un hombre, oh hijo de Gāndhārī; lucha con la mente firme y recogida. Hoy tu vida no será perdonada, aunque el mismo Indra llegara a ser tu protector.»
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma: in a justly joined battle, one must face the opponent with steadiness and courage, accepting responsibility for one’s actions and the inevitability of consequences—so certain that even divine patronage is declared insufficient to avert the destined outcome.
At the war’s climax, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Duryodhana (Gāndhārī’s son), urging him to rise and fight with focused mind, and declaring that Duryodhana’s death is imminent even if Indra were to support him—heightening the tension before the decisive confrontation.