Shloka 30
Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa
Resolve for the Mace Duel
|| अस्त्राणामपि पर्यायं कर्तुमिच्छन्ति मानवा:
astrāṇām api paryāyaṁ kartum icchanti mānavāḥ
“മനുഷ്യർ ആയുധങ്ങളിലുപോലും പടി മാറാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു—സ്ഥിതി തിരിച്ച് നേട്ടം പിടിക്കാനായി.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse points to a common human tendency in conflict: people try to ‘change the turn’—to reverse disadvantage and seize a new opening. Ethically, it can be read as a warning that the desire to manipulate outcomes may override steadiness, accountability, and restraint.
In Shalya Parva’s battle context, Duryodhana comments on how fighters and leaders look for a shift in momentum—seeking an alternation of advantage even amid the use of weapons—reflecting the tactical, unstable nature of the war.