Shloka 28

Devanagari script

सुयोधनमिमं पाप॑ हन्तास्मि गदया युधि । शिर: पादेन चास्याहमधिष्ठास्यथामि भूतले

Transliteration

suyodhanam imaṁ pāpaṁ hantāsmi gadayā yudhi | śiraḥ pādena cāsyāham adhiṣṭhāsyāmi bhūtale ||

Translation

Aku akan membunuh si berdosa Suyodhana (Duryodhana) ini di medan perang dengan gada; dan apabila dia rebah di bumi, aku akan memijak kepalanya di atas tanah.

Word by Word

• सुयोधनम्: Suyodhana (Duryodhana) (as object)
• सुयोधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुयोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पापम्: sinful, wicked
• पापम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हन्त: indeed!, lo!, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हन्त (निपात/अव्यय)

• अस्मि: I am
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध् (प्रातिपदिक; from युद्ध/युध्)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पादेन: with (my) foot
• पादेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• अस्य: of him, his
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• अधिष्ठास्यथामि: I shall stand upon / trample
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-स्था (धातु)
• Form: Periphrastic Future (Lुट्), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

भीमसेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Suyodhana (Duryodhana)
• gadā (mace)
• yuddha (battle)
• bhūtala (ground/earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how public humiliation and perceived adharma can harden into a vow of violent retaliation. It raises an ethical tension central to the epic: even when one’s cause is just, anger-driven speech and the desire to dishonor an enemy (stepping on the head) can intensify conflict and bind the speaker to a harsh course of action.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the royal assembly during the dice-game crisis, Bhīma openly vows that when war comes between the Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas, he will kill Duryodhana with a mace and, after felling him, will place his foot upon Duryodhana’s head on the battlefield—an oath spoken as a challenge and a promise of future vengeance.