Adhyāya 33: Rauhiṇeya (Balarāma) is welcomed and takes his seat to witness the gadā-engagement
न त्वं भीमो न नकुल: सहदेवो5थ फाल्गुन: । जेतुं न्यायेन शक्तो वै कृती राजा सुयोधन:,“आप, भीमसेन, नकुल, सहदेव अथवा अर्जुन-कोई भी न्यायपूर्वक युद्ध करके दुर्योधनपर विजय नहीं पा सकते; क्योंकि राजा सुयोधनने गदायुद्धका अधिक अभ्यास किया है
na tvaṃ bhīmo na nakulaḥ sahadevo ’tha phālgunaḥ | jetuṃ nyāyena śakto vai kṛtī rājā suyodhanaḥ ||
สัญชัยกล่าวว่า “ไม่ใช่ท่าน ภีมะ ไม่ใช่นกุล ไม่ใช่สหเทวะ และแม้แต่ฟาลคุนะ (อรชุน) ก็หาไม่—พวกท่านไม่มีผู้ใดสามารถชนะพระราชาสุโยธน์ได้ด้วยการรบอันชอบธรรมตามกฎศึก เพราะสุโยธน์ฝึกฝนศึกคทามากกว่าและชำนาญยิ่งกว่า”
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the ethical frame of victory: success in battle is not only about strength but also about skill within the bounds of nyāya (fair rules). It implicitly contrasts dharmic, rule-bound combat with the pressures of war where superior training can decide outcomes.
Sañjaya reports an assessment of the coming contest: he declares that none among the Pāṇḍava champions—Bhīma, Nakula, Sahadeva, or Arjuna—can defeat Duryodhana if the fight is conducted strictly according to fair rules, because Duryodhana is especially accomplished through extensive practice in mace-combat.