Mahabharata 9.31.1 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 31, Shloka 1
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
ऑपन--माजल बछ। अकाल एकत्रिशो< ध्याय: पाण्डवोंका द्वैवायनसरोवरपर जाना
sañjaya uvāca | tatas teṣv apayāteṣu ratheṣu triṣu pāṇḍavāḥ | te hṛdaṁ pratyapadyanta yatra duryodhano 'bhavat ||
सञ्जय उवाच—ततस्तेष्वपयातेषु रथेषु त्रिषु पाण्डवाः । ते ह्रदं प्रत्यपद्यन्त यत्र दुर्योधनोऽभवत् ॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral contrast: after open battle, the narrative turns to concealment and pursuit. It sets up the ethical pressure on a king/warrior to face consequences rather than evade them, a recurring Mahābhārata concern tied to kṣatriya-dharma and responsibility.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that once three chariot-fighters have departed, the Pāṇḍavas proceed to the lake where Duryodhana is present—implicitly in hiding—preparing the scene for Yudhiṣṭhira’s dialogue with him.
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