Shloka 43
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
हत्वा वा समरे पार्थान् स्फीतं राज्यमवाप्रुहि । निहतो वा रणे<स्माभिवीरलोकमवाप्स्यसि
hatvā vā samare pārthān sphītaṃ rājyam avāpnuhi | nihato vā raṇe ’smābhir vīralokam avāpsyasi ||
“要么在战阵中诛灭诸般帕尔塔，得享昌盛王国；要么若在战场上为我等所杀，你将抵达唯勇士方可往生的福德之界。”
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents the warrior’s binary of outcomes under kṣatriya-dharma: victory brings legitimate sovereignty, while death in righteous battle is portrayed as leading to the heroic realm (vīraloka). It underscores accountability and the moral framing of combat as duty-bound rather than merely personal.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses an opponent in the Shalya Parva context of ongoing war, challenging him to fight decisively: either defeat the Pāṇḍavas and claim the kingdom, or be slain by them and gain the posthumous reward traditionally ascribed to fallen heroes.