Shloka 32
Adhyāya 33: Rauhiṇeya (Balarāma) is welcomed and takes his seat to witness the gadā-engagement
अहमेतेन संगम्य संयुगे योद्धुमुत्सहे । न हि शक्तो रणे जेतुं मामेष पुरुषाधम:,'भैया! मैं रणभूमिमें इस दुर्योधनके साथ भिड़कर लड़नेका उत्साह रखता हूँ। यह नराधम मुझे युद्धमें परास्त नहीं कर सकता
aham etena saṅgamya saṃyuge yoddhum utsahe | na hi śakto raṇe jetuṃ mām eṣa puruṣādhamaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “Having closed with him, I am eager to fight in the thick of battle. For this basest of men is not capable of defeating me in war.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior ethos of confidence in battle, but it also exposes how contempt and pride (calling an opponent puruṣādhama) can color one’s judgment—an ethical tension repeatedly explored in the Mahābhārata’s war narrative.
In the Shalya Parva battle context, the speaker (introduced as Sañjaya) voices readiness to engage Duryodhana directly and asserts that Duryodhana cannot defeat him, framing the moment as a challenge marked by bravado and moral denunciation.