Shloka 45

Gadā-yuddhe Bhīma–Duryodhanayoḥ Tumulaḥ Saṃprahāraḥ

Mace-duel’s intense exchange

Devanagari script

त॑ महात्मा महात्मानं गदामुद्यम्य पाण्डव: | अभिदुद्राव वेगेन धार्तराष्ट्र वृकोदर:

Transliteration

taṁ mahātmā mahātmānaṁ gadām udyamya pāṇḍavaḥ | abhidudrāva vegena dhārtarāṣṭra vṛkodaraḥ ||

Translation

అప్పుడు మహాత్ముడైన పాండవుడు వృకోదరుడు (భీముడు) గదను ఎత్తుకొని ఆ మహాత్ముడైన ధృతరాష్ట్రపుత్రుడు (దుర్యోధనుడు) వైపు మహావేగంతో దూసుకెళ్లాడు।

Word by Word

तम्him

महात्माthe great-souled one

महात्मानम्the great-souled one

गदाम्mace

उद्यम्यhaving lifted/raising

पाण्डवःthe Pandava (Bhima)

अभिदुद्रावrushed at/ran towards

वेगेनwith speed

धार्तराष्ट्रःthe son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana)

वृकोदरःVrikodara (Bhima)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pāṇḍava (Bhīma)

Vṛkodara (Bhīma)

Dhārtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana)

gadā (mace)

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

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma in its starkest form: once the decisive duel is joined, the warrior must act with unwavering resolve. It also frames violence as situated within a code—single combat with declared weapons—inviting reflection on how duty, restraint, and consequence coexist in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīma (Vṛkodara) raising his mace and charging swiftly toward the Dhārtarāṣṭra warrior—Duryodhana—signaling the intensification of their mace-fight in the Shalya Parva.