Mahabharata 9.32.66 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 32, Shloka 66
Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa
Resolve for the Mace Duel
भ्रातृणां भवतामेको युध्यतां गदया मया । सहदेवेन वा योत्स्ये भीमेन नकुलेन वा
bhrātṝṇāṁ bhavatām eko yudhyatāṁ gadayā mayā | sahadevena vā yotsye bhīmena nakulena vā ||
Wika ni Sanjaya: “Sa inyong magkakapatid, hayaang may isang lumabas upang makipaglaban sa akin sa pamamagitan ng gada. Handa akong makipagsagupa—maging si Sahadeva, o si Bhīma, o si Nakula.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of regulated combat—calling for a single opponent and a defined weapon (the mace). It frames courage and accountability in battle, implying that even amid war there are norms meant to restrain chaos and focus conflict into honorable duels.
A challenge is proclaimed: one of the brothers is invited to face the challenger in a mace duel. Specific Pandava brothers—Sahadeva, Bhīma, and Nakula—are named as possible opponents, intensifying the confrontation and steering the encounter toward a decisive one-on-one fight.
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