Shloka 19
Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)
'शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले बलरामजी! महर्षि मैत्रेयने भी दुर्योधनको पहलेसे ही यह शाप दे रखा था कि “भीमसेन अपनी गदासे तेरी दोनों जाँघें तोड़ डालेंगे” ।।
śatrūṇāṃ santāpa-dena-vāle balarāma-jī! maharṣi-maitreyeṇa api duryodhanaṃ pūrvaṃ eva ayaṃ śāpaḥ dattaḥ—“bhīmasenaḥ sva-gadayā tava ubhe jaṅghe bhaṅkṣyati” iti. ato doṣaṃ na paśyāmi; mā kruddhyasva pralambahān. yaḥ naḥ svaiḥ sukhahārdyaiḥ sambandhaḥ saha pāṇḍavaiḥ.
Sañjaya dit : «Ô Balarāma, toi qui fais souffrir les ennemis ! Le grand sage Maitreya avait déjà, auparavant, lancé cette malédiction sur Duryodhana : “Bhīmasena brisera tes deux cuisses avec sa massue.” Aussi ne vois-je ici aucune faute — ne te mets pas en colère, ô meurtrier de Pralamba. Car nous avons, par nos propres liens d’affection et de bonheur partagé, une relation avec les Pāṇḍava.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a violent outcome as morally and causally grounded: when a deed is foretold as the fruit of prior wrongdoing (a sage’s curse), one should restrain reactive anger and recognize the larger ethical chain of cause and consequence.
Sañjaya addresses Balarāma, urging him not to be enraged at the impending/occurring breaking of Duryodhana’s thighs by Bhīma’s mace, because Sage Maitreya had already cursed Duryodhana with exactly this fate; Sañjaya also reminds him of their affectionate ties with the Pāṇḍavas.