Shloka 263

Devanagari script

दुर्योधनो महाराज पार्श्देशे5भ्यताडयत्‌ । महाराज! युद्धके मुहानेपर वाममण्डलमें विचरते हुए भीमसेनकी पसलीमें दुर्योधनने गदा मारी

Transliteration

duryodhano mahārāja pārśvadeśe ’bhyatāḍayat | mahārāja! yuddhake muhānepar vāmamaṇḍaleṃ vicarate hue bhīmasenakī pasalīmeṃ duryodhanane gadā mārī |

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Ô roi, Duryodhana frappa Bhīmasena au flanc. Alors que Bhīma évoluait sur l’aile gauche, à l’avant même de la bataille, Duryodhana abattit sa massue sur les côtes de Bhīma — épisode qui montre comment la fureur de la guerre pousse les guerriers à rechercher des coups décisifs au corps plutôt que la retenue, tout en demeurant dans le rude code du duel.

Word by Word

• दुर्योधनः: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पार्श्वदेशे: in the side-region (at the flank)
• पार्श्वदेशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्श्वदेश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अभ्यताडयत्: struck, beat
• Type: Verb
• Root: तड् (ताडयति)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• दुर्योधन (Duryodhana)
• महाराज/धृतराष्ट्र (Mahārāja/Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• भीमसेन (Bhīmasena/Bhīma)
• गदा (mace)
• वाममण्डल (left flank of the battle formation)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the uncompromising intensity of Kurukṣetra combat: warriors seek decisive strikes amid tactical movement. Ethically, it points to how prolonged conflict narrows attention to victory and bodily harm, reminding readers that war, even when framed by kṣatriya codes, rapidly becomes a realm of harsh consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana, wielding a mace, lands a blow on Bhīma’s side/ribs while Bhīma is maneuvering on the left flank at the battle’s forefront.