Shloka 46

Gadā-yuddhe Bhīma–Duryodhanayoḥ Tumulaḥ Saṃprahāraḥ

Mace-duel’s intense exchange

Devanagari script

महामनस्वी पाण्डुपुत्र भीमसेनने गदा उठाकर आपके महामना पुत्र दुर्योधनपर बड़े वेगसे आक्रमण किया ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | mahāmanasvī pāṇḍuputro bhīmaseno gadām utthāpya tava mahāmanāḥ putraṃ duryodhanaṃ prati mahāvegād ākrāmat || bṛṃhanti kuñjarās tatra hayā hreṣanti cāsakṛt | śastrāṇi cāpy adīpyanta pāṇḍavānāṃ jayaiṣiṇām ||

Translation

Sañjaya disse: O magnânimo Bhīmasena, filho de Pāṇḍu, ergueu sua maça e, com ímpeto tremendo, investiu contra teu nobre filho Duryodhana. Então os elefantes trombetearam repetidas vezes e os cavalos relincharam sem cessar; e as armas dos Pāṇḍavas, sedentos de vitória, brilharam intensamente.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'sañjaya uvāca', 'definition': 'Sañjaya said (narrator reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)'}, {'term': 'mahāmanasvī / mahāmanāḥ', 'definition': 'great-minded, noble-spirited'}, {'term': 'pāṇḍuputraḥ', 'definition': 'son of Pāṇḍu (epithet of a Pāṇḍava)'}, {'term': 'bhīmasenaḥ', 'definition': 'Bhīma, mighty warrior among the Pāṇḍavas'}, {'term': 'gadā', 'definition': 'mace (heavy club weapon)'}, {'term': 'utthāpya', 'definition': 'having lifted/raised'}, {'term': 'duryodhanam prati', 'definition': 'towards/against Duryodhana'}, {'term': 'mahāvega', 'definition': 'great speed/impetus, tremendous force'}, {'term': 'ākrāmat', 'definition': 'attacked, charged, advanced upon'}, {'term': 'kuñjarāḥ', 'definition': 'elephants'}, {'term': 'bṛṃhanti', 'definition': 'trumpet/roar (of elephants)'}, {'term': 'hayāḥ', 'definition': 'horses'}, {'term': 'hreṣanti', 'definition': 'neigh'}, {'term': 'asakṛt', 'definition': 'repeatedly, again and again'}, {'term': 'śastrāṇi', 'definition': 'weapons (arms, implements of war)'}, {'term': 'adīpyanta', 'definition': 'blazed, shone, flashed'}, {'term': 'jayaiṣiṇām', 'definition': 'of those desiring victory'}]

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Pāṇḍu
• Duryodhana
• Pāṇḍavas
• gadā (mace)
• kuñjara (elephants)
• haya (horses)
• śastra (weapons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in moments of decisive conflict, inner resolve manifests outwardly—through bold action and the charged response of the battlefield. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s tension: even noble intent and rightful cause unfold within the tragic machinery of war, where victory-seeking can intensify violence and its consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Bhīma raises his mace and rushes at Duryodhana with great force. The battlefield reacts: elephants trumpet, horses neigh repeatedly, and the Pāṇḍavas’ weapons gleam—signaling the escalation toward a climactic confrontation.