Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 23

Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa

Resolve for the Mace Duel

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच दिष्ट्या त्वमपि जानीषे क्षत्रधर्म सुयोधन

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | diṣṭyā tvam api jānīṣe kṣatradharma suyodhana ||

Translation

យុធិષ્ઠិរ បានមានព្រះបន្ទូលថា៖ «ជាសំណាងល្អណាស់ ដែលអ្នកក៏យល់ដឹងអំពីធម៌របស់ក្សត្រីយៈដែរ ឱ សុយោធន!»

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• दिष्ट्या: by good fortune; fortunately
• दिष्ट्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also; even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• जानीषे: you know; you understand
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Atmanepada

• क्षत्रधर्मम्: the duty/law of a kṣatriya
• क्षत्रधर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सुयोधन: O Suyodhana (Duryodhana)
• सुयोधन: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुयोधन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Suyodhana (Duryodhana)
• kṣatradharma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores kṣatradharma: even amid hostility, a warrior-king is expected to recognize and act according to the ethical code of battle and rulership—honor, duty, and principled conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Suyodhana (Duryodhana) directly, remarking that it is ‘fortunate’ he understands kṣatriya duty—an evaluative statement that frames the opponent’s stance in terms of accepted martial ethics.