Shloka 71
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
आशीविषैरविषिश्षापि जले चापि प्रवेशनै: । त्वया विनिकृता राजन् राज्यस्य हरणेन च
āśīviṣair aviṣiṣṭhāpi jale cāpi praveśanaiḥ | tvayā vinikṛtā rājan rājyasya haraṇena ca
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Ô Roi, tu m’as fait tort—par des moyens aussi meurtriers que des serpents venimeux, allant jusqu’à me contraindre à entrer dans les eaux, et encore par la confiscation de mon royaume. Tes actes ont eu l’effet d’un poison, me dépouillant de ce qui m’appartenait de droit et me poussant au péril.»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames political dispossession and treacherous coercion as morally equivalent to lethal violence: taking a rightful kingdom through deceit is an ethical injury as grave as poisoning or forcing someone into deadly danger.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a king and accuses him of having wronged him through perilous, coercive acts and, above all, by seizing his kingdom—highlighting the injustice that helped drive the conflict.