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 ||
Wahai Raja, ketika Duryodhana berusaha menipu dengan gerak tipu dan hendak melompat bangkit kembali, Pandawa Bhimasena membaca siasatnya, mengaum laksana singa, lalu dengan dahsyat menghantamkan gada ke kedua pahanya.
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.