Shloka 293
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
समुद्यम्य गदां घोरां प्रत्यविध्यत् परंतप: । शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले आपके पुत्र दुर्योधनने भीमसेनको गदा घुमाते देख अपनी भयंकर गदा उठाकर उनकी गदापर दे मारी
samudyamya gadāṁ ghorāṁ pratyavidhyat paraṁtapaḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: Melihat Bhīmasena memutar gadanya, puteramu Duryodhana—penghangus musuh—mengangkat gadanya yang menggerunkan lalu memukul balas, mempertemukan gada dengan gada. Maka duel itu mengeras menjadi ujian kekuatan dan keteguhan hati, tempat dharma kesatria (kṣatra-dharma) terserlah melalui pertempuran langsung yang berdisiplin, bukan melalui undur diri.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya conduct in war: when challenged in a fair duel, a warrior answers with courage and skill. Ethically, it underscores steadfastness and accountability in action—meeting force with disciplined resolve—while also reminding that prowess alone does not settle the deeper moral causes driving the conflict.
Sañjaya describes the mace-fight: Bhīma swings his mace, and Duryodhana raises his own fearsome mace and counter-strikes, making it a direct clash of weapons in their climactic duel.