Shloka 12
Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha
Verbal Duel and Omens
ततो दुर्योधनो राजा प्रगृह्म महतीं गदाम् | पदभ्याममर्षी द्युतिमानगच्छत् पाण्डवैः सह
tato duryodhano rājā pragṛhya mahatīṁ gadām | padabhyām amarṣī dyutimān agacchat pāṇḍavaiḥ saha, mahārāja |
ततो दुर्योधनो राजा प्रगृह्य महतीं गदाम् । पदभ्याममर्षी द्युतिमानगच्छत् पाण्डवैः सह ॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how inner states—especially amarṣa (resentful indignation)—can propel action with great force. Even when outwardly 'radiant' and kingly, a leader driven by anger and pride moves toward conflict, showing the ethical tension between martial resolve and the corrosive motives that underlie it.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana, gripping a huge mace, proceeds on foot along with the Pāṇḍavas—setting the stage for the climactic mace-fight episode in the Shalya Parva.