Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 42

Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa

Resolve for the Mace Duel

Devanagari script

तमुत्तीर्ण महाबाहुं गदाहस्तमरिंदमम्‌ | मेनिरे सर्वभूतानि दण्डपाणिमिवान्तकम्‌

Transliteration

tam uttīrṇaṁ mahābāhuṁ gadāhastam ariṁdamam | menire sarvabhūtāni daṇḍapāṇim ivāntakam ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: Когда тот могучерукий герой вышел (из воды), с палицей в руке, сокрушитель врагов, все существа приняли его за Яму, Владыку смерти, явившегося с жезлом в руке. Эта сцена усиливает нравственное напряжение войны: гнев и решимость одного воина способны бросить на мир тень ужаса, когда насилие принимает внушающий трепет облик космического воздаяния.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उत्तीर्णम्: having come out / emerged (from the water)
• उत्तीर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्-√तॄ (तॄ)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाबाहुम्: the mighty-armed one
• महाबाहुम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गदाहस्तम्: having a mace in hand
• गदाहस्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गदाहस्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अरिंदमम्: crusher of foes
• अरिंदमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरिंदम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मेनिरे: thought / deemed
• मेनिरे: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (मन्यते)
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• सर्वभूतानि: all beings
• सर्वभूतानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• दण्डपाणिम्: the staff-in-hand one (Yama)
• दण्डपाणिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डपाणि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: as if / like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अन्तकम्: Death (Yama), the ender
• अन्तकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yama (Antaka)
• daṇḍa (staff/rod of punishment)
• gadā (mace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses the image of Yama with the staff of punishment to show how unchecked martial fury and the momentum of war can resemble impersonal cosmic retribution. It underscores the ethical gravity of violence: when a warrior becomes an instrument of destruction, he inspires dread like Death itself, reminding listeners that adharma-driven conflict culminates in inevitable ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a formidable warrior emerging from the water holding a mace. His appearance is so terrifying and authoritative that all beings imagine him to be Yama (Antaka) himself, staff in hand—an intensification of the battlefield atmosphere just before further combat.