Shloka 46
Duryodhana-patana-anuśocana
The Fall of Duryodhana and the Contest of Restraint
सृत्या वज्चयतो राजन पुनरेवोत्पतिष्यत: । ऊरुभ्यां प्राहिणोद् राजन् गदां वेगेन पाण्डव:
sṛtyā vañcayato rājan punar evotpatīṣyataḥ | ūrubhyāṁ prāhiṇod rājan gadāṁ vegena pāṇḍavaḥ ||
राजन्, जब दुर्योधन पैंतरे से छल करने और फिर उछलकर उठने को उद्यत था, तब पाण्डव भीमसेन ने उसकी चाल समझकर सिंह-नाद किया और बड़े वेग से उसकी जाँघों पर गदा चला दी।
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between victory and righteous conduct in war: tactical deception invites a forceful counter, yet the chosen target (the thighs) evokes debate about adherence to the accepted rules of mace-dueling and the moral cost of decisive violence.
During the climactic mace duel, Duryodhana attempts to evade through a feint and prepares to leap again; Bhīma anticipates this and launches a powerful mace-blow aimed at Duryodhana’s thighs, a turning point that effectively decides the contest.