Shloka 76

गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel

Devanagari script

जहि त्वं भरतश्रेष्ठ मायात्मानं सुयोधनम्‌ । भरतश्रेष्ठ] आप बहुत-से रचनात्मक उपायोंद्वारा जलमें मायाका प्रयोग करके मायामय दुर्योधनका वध कीजिये

Transliteration

jahi tvaṃ bharataśreṣṭha māyātmānaṃ suyodhanam |

Translation

风神伐由说道：“婆罗多族中最卓越者啊，击杀苏优陀那——杜尔约陀那——其本性即欺诈与幻术（摩耶）。当以明辨之策破其摩耶；在战争中，不可将正法让步于诡计，反须遏止违背达摩的欺骗，使公正得以彰显。”

Word by Word

• जहि: kill (you must kill)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (√हन्)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम, एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भरतश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Bharatas
• Type: Noun (vocative epithet)
• Root: भरत-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• मायात्मानम्: the illusory/one whose nature is māyā
• मायात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माया-आत्मन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सुयोधनम्: Suyodhana (Duryodhana)
• सुयोधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: सुयोधन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva (Wind-god)
• Suyodhana (Duryodhana)
• Bharataśreṣṭha (addressed Kuru hero)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.