Shloka 15
Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)
तत: पौरुषमास्थाय मद्रराजमताडयत् | जयो वास्तु वधो वास्तु कृतबुद्धिर्महारथ:,तदनन्तर उन्होंने अपने पुरुषार्थका आश्रय ले मद्रराजपर प्रहार आरम्भ किया। महारथी युधिष्ठिरने यह निश्चय कर लिया कि आज या तो मेरी विजय होगी अथवा मेरा वध हो जायगा
tataḥ pauruṣam āsthāya madrarājam atāḍayat | jayo vāstu vadho vāstu kṛtabuddhir mahārathaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then, taking refuge in his own manly resolve and exertion, he began to strike at the king of Madra. The great chariot-warrior had fixed his mind on a single outcome: let there be victory today, or let there be death. In that grim ethical frame of battle, he chose unwavering determination over hesitation, accepting the consequences of his duty on the field.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfast resolve in the performance of one’s appointed duty: a warrior, having chosen his course, accepts either victory or death without wavering. Ethically, it portrays commitment to dharma-as-duty in a crisis, where hesitation can endanger others and undermine responsibility.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira, summoning his valor, begins a direct assault on the king of Madra, Śalya. Yudhiṣṭhira has made up his mind that the day will end in one of two outcomes—his victory or his death—signaling an intensified phase of the duel.