Shloka 2
Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)
गदायुद्धविशेषज्ञो गदायुद्धविशारद: । कृतवान् रौहिणेयो यत् तन्ममाचक्ष्व संजय,संजय! गदायुद्धके विशेषज्ञ तथा उसकी कलामें कुशल रोहिणीनन्दन बलरामजीने वहाँ जो कुछ किया हो, वह मुझे बताओ
gadāyuddhaviśeṣajño gadāyuddhaviśāradaḥ | kṛtavān rauhiṇeyo yat tan mamācakṣva sañjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “O Sañjaya, tell me what Rauhiṇeya Balarāma—an expert and consummate master of mace-combat—did there.” The king’s question reflects both anxiety and moral scrutiny: Balarāma is revered as an elder and teacher in the art of the gadā, so his conduct and judgment in the violent contest bear ethical weight for how the duel is to be understood.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical evaluation of warfare through authoritative expertise: when a revered master of a martial art is present, his actions and judgments become a moral lens for interpreting the duel—whether it aligns with dharma and proper conduct in combat.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya to recount what Balarāma (Rauhiṇeya), famed for mastery of mace-combat, did at the scene—setting up Sañjaya’s report on Balarāma’s role and response during the mace-fight episode.