Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 46

अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः

Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana

Devanagari script

प्रजानाथ! उन सबके भाग जानेपर कुरुराज दुर्योधनने शत्रुपक्षकी और अपनी दोनों ही सेनाओंपर आक्रमण किया ।।

Transliteration

tato duryodhanaḥ sarvān ājuhāvātha pāṇḍavān | yuddhāya bharataśreṣṭha devān iva purā baliḥ ||

Translation

ତାପରେ, ହେ ଭରତଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ, ଦୁର୍ଯ୍ୟୋଧନ ସମସ୍ତ ପାଣ୍ଡବଙ୍କୁ ଯୁଦ୍ଧ ପାଇଁ ଆହ୍ୱାନ କଲା—ଯେପରି ପୁରାକାଳରେ ରାଜା ବଳି ଦେବତାମାନଙ୍କୁ ଯୁଦ୍ଧ ପାଇଁ ଡାକିଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• {'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'duryodhanaḥ': 'Duryodhana (the Kuru prince, leader of the Kauravas)', 'sarvān': 'all (of them)', 'ājuhāva (ā-hū, perfect)': 'called, summoned, challenged', 'atha': 'then, and then', 'pāṇḍavān': 'the Pāṇḍavas (sons of Pāṇḍu)', 'yuddhāya': 'for battle, to fight (dative/purpose)', 'bharataśreṣṭha': 'O best of the Bharatas (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'devān': 'the gods', 'iva': 'like, as', 'purā': 'formerly, in ancient times', 'baliḥ': 'Bali (mythic king famed for power and confrontation with the gods)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Pāṇḍavas
• Bharata (dynastic epithet)
• Devas
• King Bali

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how pride and defiant resolve can intensify conflict: Duryodhana’s public summons to battle, likened to Bali’s challenge to the gods, underscores a warrior’s audacity while also hinting at the moral peril of hubris that drives war forward.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana calls out the Pāṇḍavas to fight. The comparison to King Bali challenging the gods serves to magnify the dramatic scale of the moment and portray Duryodhana’s confrontational stance as the battle momentum builds.