Shloka 73

Śalya-parva Adhyāya 34: Balarāma’s Withdrawal, Sarasvatī Pilgrimage Logistics, and Prabhāsa as Soma’s Renewal Tīrtha

Devanagari script

युद्धभूमिं गती वीरावुभावेव रराजतु: । तदनन्तर गदा हाथमें लेकर दुर्योधन और भीमसेन युद्ध-भूमिमें उतरे। वे दोनों ही वीर वहाँ बड़ी शोभा पा रहे थे

Transliteration

yuddhabhūmiṁ gatī vīrāv ubhāv eva rarājatuḥ | tad-anantaraṁ gadāṁ hastayoḥ gṛhītvā duryodhanaś ca bhīmasenaś ca yuddhabhūmim avataratām | tau ubhau vīrau tatra mahā-śobhāṁ prāptau ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: The two heroes, having come onto the battlefield, shone resplendently. Thereafter Duryodhana and Bhīmasena, taking up their maces in hand, descended into the arena of war. Both warriors stood there in striking splendor—an ominous prelude to a duel where personal enmity and royal duty collide under the harsh demands of kṣatriya-dharma.

Word by Word

• युद्धभूमिम्: battlefield
• युद्धभूमिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्धभूमि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गती: having gone/approached (lit. the two goings)
• गती: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Dual

• वीरौ: the two heroes
• वीरौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• रराजतुः: shone
• Type: Verb
• Root: राज्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• yuddhabhūmi (battlefield)
• gadā (mace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension between outward martial glory and the grave ethical weight of war: even when warriors appear radiant and heroic, the battlefield remains a place where dharma is tested and consequences are irreversible.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Duryodhana and Bhīmasena entering the battlefield with maces in hand, both appearing splendid as they prepare for the climactic mace-fight.