Shloka 34
Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa
Resolve for the Mace Duel
पुरुषो भव गान्धारे युध्यस्व सुसमाहित: । अद्य ते जीवितं नास्ति यदीन्द्रोडपि तवाश्रयः
puruṣo bhava gāndhāre yudhyasva susamāhitaḥ | adya te jīvitaṃ nāsti yadīndro 'pi tavāśrayaḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Hãy làm bậc nam nhi, hỡi con của Gāndhārī; hãy chiến đấu với tâm trí vững vàng, thu nhiếp. Hôm nay mạng sống ngươi sẽ không được tha—dẫu chính Indra có đứng ra che chở cho ngươi.”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma: in a justly joined battle, one must face the opponent with steadiness and courage, accepting responsibility for one’s actions and the inevitability of consequences—so certain that even divine patronage is declared insufficient to avert the destined outcome.
At the war’s climax, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Duryodhana (Gāndhārī’s son), urging him to rise and fight with focused mind, and declaring that Duryodhana’s death is imminent even if Indra were to support him—heightening the tension before the decisive confrontation.