Shloka 68
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
Devanagari script
आवयोर्जीवतो राजन् मयि च त्वयि च ध्रुवम्
Transliteration
āvayor jīvato rājan mayi ca tvayi ca dhruvam
Translation
ਹੇ ਰਾਜਨ! ਜਦ ਤੱਕ ਅਸੀਂ ਦੋਵੇਂ—ਮੈਂ ਅਤੇ ਤੂੰ—ਜੀਵਿਤ ਹਾਂ, ਇਹ ਗੱਲ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਿਤ ਅਤੇ ਅਟੱਲ ਹੈ।
Word by Word
आवयोःof us two
आवयोः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootअहम् (युष्मद्-सह) → आवाम् (1st dual pronoun stem)
Form—, षष्ठी, द्विवचन
जीवतोःwhile (we) are alive / of the two living
जीवतोः:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootजीवत् (from √जीव्)
Formपुं, षष्ठी, द्विवचन
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
Formपुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन
मयिin me
मयि:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootअहम्
Form—, सप्तमी, एकवचन
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
त्वयिin you
त्वयि:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद्
Form—, सप्तमी, एकवचन
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
ध्रुवम्certainly / surely
ध्रुवम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootध्रुव
Formनपुं, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
Speaker
युधिछिर उवाच
Characters & Entities
Y
YudhiṣṭhiraR
rājan (the addressed king)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The line emphasizes dhruvatā—moral and practical certainty: a speaker grounds the discussion in what is firmly true while both parties are alive, underscoring responsibility and resolve in a royal-ethical context.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a king directly and asserts a definite point that holds for both of them as long as they live, marking a decisive moment in dialogue amid the tense Shalya Parva setting.