Shloka 38
Duryodhana-patana-anuśocana
The Fall of Duryodhana and the Contest of Restraint
मोक्षयित्वा प्रहारं त॑ सुतस्तव सुसम्भ्रमात् भीमसेनं च गदया प्राहरत् कुरुसत्तम,कुरुश्रेष्ठ! उस प्रहारसे अपनेको बचाकर आपके पुत्रने भीमसेनपर बड़े वेगसे गदाद्वारा आघात किया
mokṣayitvā prahāraṃ taṃ sutastava susambhramāt bhīmasenaṃ ca gadayā prāharat kurusattama
O best of the Kurus, after evading that blow in swift alertness, your son struck Bhīmasena with his mace with great force. The scene underscores the relentless momentum of mace-combat in war, where presence of mind and controlled aggression decide the next turn, even as the combatants remain bound to their chosen loyalties and the harsh code of battlefield duty.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights battlefield vigilance and decisive action: escaping an incoming strike requires composure and quick judgment, and the counterblow follows immediately. Ethically, it reflects the severe kṣatriya framework where skill and resolve operate within the obligations of war, even when the conflict itself is tragic.
In the mace-duel sequence, Duryodhana (addressed indirectly as 'your son') avoids a blow and then retaliates by striking Bhīmasena powerfully with his mace, intensifying the exchange.