Shloka 1
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
अतड--णक+ सप्तपञ्चाशत्तमोड ध्याय: भीमसेन और दुर्योधनका गदायुद्ध संजय उवाच ततो दुर्योधनो दृष्टवा भीमसेनं तथागतम् | प्रत्युद्ययावदीनात्मा वेगेन महता नदन्,संजय कहते हैं--राजन! तदनन्तर उदारहृदय दुर्योधनने भीमसेनको इस प्रकार आक्रमण करते देख स्वयं भी गर्जना करते हुए बड़े वेगसे आगे बढ़कर उनका सामना किया
sañjaya uvāca | tato duryodhano dṛṣṭvā bhīmasenaṃ tathāgatam | pratyudyayāv adīnātmā vegena mahatā nadan ||
Sanjaya said: Then Duryodhana, seeing Bhimasena advancing in that manner, moved forward to meet him. Unshaken in spirit, he charged with great speed, roaring aloud—setting the stage for the decisive club-duel where pride, resolve, and the burdens of dharma collide on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kshatriya resolve under pressure: even amid impending defeat and moral complexity, a warrior’s steadiness (adīnātmatā) and willingness to face an equal challenge are portrayed as decisive virtues—while also foreshadowing how pride and rivalry drive the final, ethically fraught confrontation.
As Bhima advances to engage, Duryodhana sees him and immediately charges forward to meet him, roaring and moving with great speed—marking the opening movement of their famed club-duel in Shalya Parva.