Shloka 12

Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa

Resolve for the Mace Duel

Devanagari script

एकैकेन तु मां यूयं योधयध्वं युधिष्ठिर । न होको बहुभिववीरिर्याय्यो योधयितुं युधि,'युधिष्ठि! तुमलोग एक-एक करके मुझसे युद्ध करो। युद्धमें बहुत-से वीरोंके साथ किसी एकको लड़नेके लिये विवश करना न्यायोचित नहीं है

Transliteration

ekekena tu māṃ yūyaṃ yodhayadhvaṃ yudhiṣṭhira | na hy eko bahubhir vīrair nyāyyo yodhayituṃ yudhi ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“坚战啊，你们当与我一一相斗。战阵之中，逼一名战士同时对抗众多英雄，并非公正之举。”

Word by Word

एकैकेनone by one / with each single (person)

तुbut / indeed

माम्me

यूयम्you (all)

योधयध्वम्fight (make battle) / engage (in combat)

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

नnot

हिindeed / for

एकःone (person)

बहुभिःby many (people)

वीरैःby heroes / warriors

न्याय्यःproper / just

योधयितुम्to make (someone) fight / to engage (someone) in battle

युधिin battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Yudhiṣṭhira

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse appeals to nyāya (fairness) in warfare: it is unethical to force one fighter to face many at once; proper conduct favors regulated, equitable combat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a challenge addressed to Yudhiṣṭhira: the speaker demands single combat—each opponent should fight individually—rejecting a many-against-one engagement as unjust.