Mahabharata 9.31.53 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 31, Shloka 53
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
तथाप्येन॑ ह्वतं युद्धे लोका द्रक्ष्यन्ति माधव । “माधव! यद्यपि यह छल-कपटकी विद्यामें बड़ा चतुर है
tathāpy enaṁ hṛtaṁ yuddhe lokā drakṣyanti mādhava | “mādhava! yadyapi ayaṁ chala-kapaṭa-vidyāyāṁ baḍā caturaḥ, tathāpi kapaṭaṁ kṛtvā mama hastād jīvitaṁ na mucyate | yadi samarāṅgaṇe sākṣād vajradhārī indraḥ asya sahāyaḥ syāt, tathāpi yuddhe enaṁ sarve lokā mṛtam eva drakṣyanti” | gaccha tvaṁ bhuṅkṣva rājendra pṛthivīṁ nihatēśvarām | hata-yodhāṁ naṣṭa-ratnāṁ kṣīṇa-vṛttyā yathā-sukham ||
Wahai Mādhava, meski demikian orang-orang akan melihat dia roboh terbunuh di medan perang. ‘Mādhava! Sekalipun ia amat cerdik dalam seni tipu daya dan kelicikan, ia takkan lolos hidup-hidup dari tanganku dengan muslihat. Bahkan bila Indra sendiri, pemegang wajra, menolongnya di gelanggang, tetap semua orang akan menyaksikannya tewas dalam perang.’ ‘Pergilah, wahai raja; nikmatilah bumi yang tuannya telah binasa—para kesatrianya gugur dan permatanya lenyap—sesuai kemampuanmu yang telah menyusut, sebaik yang dapat kau lakukan.’
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts reliance on deceit with the inevitability of moral and martial consequence: cleverness in trickery cannot ultimately avert the results of one’s actions in a dharmic war. It also underscores the grim ethical reality of kingship after devastation—rule becomes the management of loss, not triumph.
Sañjaya reports a warrior’s fierce declaration to Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava): even if the opponent is skilled in deception and even if Indra helps him, he will still be seen slain. The speech then turns to the aftermath of war, telling a king to go and ‘enjoy’ (i.e., rule) an earth left masterless, with warriors dead and treasures destroyed, living within reduced means.
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