Shloka 76
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
जहि त्वं भरतश्रेष्ठ मायात्मानं सुयोधनम् । भरतश्रेष्ठ] आप बहुत-से रचनात्मक उपायोंद्वारा जलमें मायाका प्रयोग करके मायामय दुर्योधनका वध कीजिये
jahi tvaṃ bharataśreṣṭha māyātmānaṃ suyodhanam |
Vāyu said: “O best of the Bharatas, strike down Suyodhana—Duryodhana—whose very nature is deceit and illusion. Use discerning strategy to overcome his māyā, for in war righteousness must not be surrendered to trickery; rather, deception that violates dharma is to be checked so that justice may prevail.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the defeat of adharma as a moral necessity: when an opponent’s conduct is rooted in māyā (deceit), one should not capitulate to it. Upholding dharma in war may require firm, decisive action against deception so that justice is restored.
Vāyudeva addresses a leading Bharata/Kuru warrior and urges him to kill Suyodhana (Duryodhana), characterizing him as māyātmā—one defined by deceit. The line functions as a divine exhortation to end Duryodhana’s harmful stratagems and bring the conflict toward resolution.