Shloka 76
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
जहि त्वं भरतश्रेष्ठ मायात्मानं सुयोधनम् । भरतश्रेष्ठ] आप बहुत-से रचनात्मक उपायोंद्वारा जलमें मायाका प्रयोग करके मायामय दुर्योधनका वध कीजिये
jahi tvaṃ bharataśreṣṭha māyātmānaṃ suyodhanam |
Vāyu berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik dalam keturunan Bharata, tewaskan Suyodhana—Duryodhana—yang tabiatnya sendiri adalah tipu daya dan māyā. Gunakan strategi yang tajam dan berakal untuk menewaskan māyā-nya; dalam perang, dharma tidak wajar diserahkan kepada helah, sebaliknya tipu daya yang melanggar dharma mesti dibendung agar keadilan menang.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the defeat of adharma as a moral necessity: when an opponent’s conduct is rooted in māyā (deceit), one should not capitulate to it. Upholding dharma in war may require firm, decisive action against deception so that justice is restored.
Vāyudeva addresses a leading Bharata/Kuru warrior and urges him to kill Suyodhana (Duryodhana), characterizing him as māyātmā—one defined by deceit. The line functions as a divine exhortation to end Duryodhana’s harmful stratagems and bring the conflict toward resolution.