Shloka 46
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
अद्यापि त्वहमाशंसे त्वां विजेतुं युधिष्ठिर । भड़्क्त्वा पाज्चालपाण्डूनामुत्साहं भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठि!! मैं आज भी पांचालों और पाण्डवोंका उत्साह भंग करके तुम्हें जीतनेका हौसला रखता हूँ
adyāpi tv aham āśaṃse tvāṃ vijetuṃ yudhiṣṭhira | bhaktvā pāñcāla-pāṇḍūnām utsāhaṃ bharatarṣabha ||
Duryodhana berkata: “Bahkan hari ini pun aku masih menaruh harapan untuk menewaskanmu, wahai Yudhiṣṭhira. Setelah mematahkan semangat dan gairah tempur kaum Pāñcāla dan para Pāṇḍava, wahai banteng di antara keturunan Bhārata, aku tetap menyimpan tekad untuk menaklukkanmu.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how victory in war is pursued not only through weapons but also through the breaking of an opponent’s morale (utsāha). Ethically, it exposes Duryodhana’s persistent pride and fixation on conquest, contrasting with the Mahābhārata’s broader concern for dharma and the inner costs of ambition.
In the Shalya Parva context, Duryodhana addresses Yudhiṣṭhira directly, asserting that he still expects to defeat him. He claims confidence that, by undermining the fighting spirit of the Pāñcālas and the Pāṇḍavas, he can secure victory.