Shloka 2

Devanagari script

वयं च तेडपि तुल्या वै वीर्येण च पराक्रमै: । समेन वयसा चैव प्रातिभेन श्रुतेन च

Transliteration

vayaṃ ca teḍ api tulyā vai vīryeṇa ca parākramaiḥ | samena vayasā caiva prātibhena śrutena ca

Translation

难敌宣称：“我方与彼方并无高下：在力量与武勇上相等，在年岁、天资与所学之道上亦相当。”

Word by Word

वयम्we

चand

तेthey (those)

अपिalso/even

तुल्याःequal

वैindeed

वीर्येणby strength/valor

चand

पराक्रमैःby exploits/heroic deeds

समेनby equal (i.e., same)

वयसाby age

चand

एवjust/indeed

प्रातिभेनby talent/quick intelligence

श्रुतेनby learning/what is heard (scriptural knowledge)

चand

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

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 illustrates how pride and competitive self-assertion can be used to rationalize refusal to compromise: by claiming equal merit in strength, prowess, age, talent, and learning, Duryodhana frames concession as unnecessary, pushing the situation toward confrontation rather than dharmic conciliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and counsels, Duryodhana speaks to affirm his side’s parity with the opposing party (the Pandavas and their allies), asserting that they are equally qualified in martial and intellectual capacities—an argument supporting his decision not to yield.