Mahabharata 9.32.31 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 32, Shloka 31

Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa

Resolve for the Mace Duel

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत शल्यपर्वके अन्तर्गत गदापवरमें दुर्योधन-युधिष्ठिरसंवादविषयक इकतीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

gadāyā tvāṃ mahābāho vijeṣyāmi sahānujam | mahābāho! gadayā bhātr̥bhiḥ saha tvāṃ pāñcālān sṛñjayāṃś ca ye cānye tava sainikāḥ tān api sarvān jayiṣyāmi | yudhiṣṭhira! mamendra-samād api kadācana na bhayaṃ bhavati ||

Translation

Duryodhana déclara à Yudhiṣṭhira, avec l’assurance d’un guerrier enivré d’orgueil : «Ô toi aux bras puissants, de ma massue je te vaincrai, toi et tes frères. Par cette massue je terrasserai aussi les Pāñcālas, les Sṛñjayas et toutes les autres troupes qui se tiennent à tes côtés. Yudhiṣṭhira, je ne connais jamais la peur—pas même devant Indra.» Ce discours présente le duel non comme une épreuve mesurée du dharma, mais comme une fanfaronnade de domination, révélant comment l’arrogance et le mépris des justes limites attisent la dernière violence de la guerre.

Word by Word

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विजेष्यामि: I shall conquer
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 1st, Singular

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• अनुजम्: the younger brother
• अनुजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Duryodhana
• Gadā (mace)
• Pāñcālas
• Sṛñjayas
• Indra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how unchecked pride (mada) and contempt for limits distort a warrior’s duty: instead of humility and adherence to fair conduct, the speaker elevates personal dominance and fearlessness into a moral claim. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such boasting often signals inner blindness and the approach of ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the lead-up to the climactic mace-fight, Duryodhana addresses Yudhiṣṭhira with a threat: he will defeat him and his brothers and crush their allies (Pāñcālas and Sṛñjayas), claiming he fears not even Indra. The exchange intensifies the tension before the decisive duel.