Shloka 36
Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa
Resolve for the Mace Duel
तथासौ वाक्प्रतोदेन तुद्यमान: पुनः पुनः । वचो न ममृषे राजन्नुत्तमाश्वचः कशामिव,राजन! जैसे अच्छा घोड़ा कोड़ेकी मार नहीं सह सकता है, उसी प्रकार वचनरूपी चाबुकसे बार-बार पीड़ित किया जाता हुआ दुर्योधन युधिष्ठिरकी उस बातको सहन न कर सका
tathāsau vāk-pratodena tudyamānaḥ punaḥ punaḥ | vaco na mamṛṣe rājann uttamāśvaḥ kaśām iva ||
Sañjaya berkata: Maka, dipacu berkali-kali oleh cemeti kata-kata, dia tidak dapat menahan ucapan itu, wahai Raja—sebagaimana kuda yang baik tidak tahan pada libasan cemeti.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Words can function as a moral goad: truthful rebuke exposes inner weakness—especially pride—and may provoke an unsteady mind more than physical pain. The verse cautions that inability to bear corrective speech is a sign of ethical fragility and can push one toward rash, harmful choices.
Sañjaya narrates to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana, repeatedly stung by Yudhiṣṭhira’s pointed words, loses patience and cannot tolerate the verbal pressure—likened to a high-bred horse that cannot bear the whip.