संजय उवाच
अथ शूरा महाराज परस्परकृतागसः ॥
जग्मुः स्वशिबिराण्य् एव रुधिरेण समुक्षिताः ॥
विश्रम्य च यथान्यायं पूजयित्वा परस्परम् ॥
संनद्धाः समदृश्यन्त भूयो युद्धचिकीर्षया ॥
ततस् तव सुतो राजंश् चिन्तयाभिपरिप्लुतः ॥
विस्रवच् छोणिताक्ताङ्गः पप्रच्छेदं पितामहम् ॥
सैन्यानि रौद्राणि भयानकानि; व्यूढानि सम्यग् बहुलध्वजानि ॥
विदार्य हत्वा च निपीड्य शूरास्; ते पाण्डवानां त्वरिता रथौघाः ॥
संमोह्य सर्वान् युधि कीर्तिमन्तो; व्यूहं च तं मकरं वज्रकल्पम् ॥
प्रविश्य भीमेन निबर्हितो ऽस्मि; घोरैः शरैर् मृत्युदण्डप्रकाशैः ॥
क्रुद्धं तम् उद्वीक्ष्य भयेन राजन्; संमूर्छितो नालभं शान्तिम् अद्य ॥
इच्छे प्रसादात् तव सत्यसंध; प्राप्तुं जयं पाण्डवेयांश् च हन्तुम् ॥
तेनैवम् उक्तः प्रहसन् महात्मा; दुर्योधनं जातमन्युं विदित्वा ॥
तं प्रत्युवाचाविमना मनस्वी; गङ्गासुतः शस्त्रभृतां वरिष्ठः ॥
परेण यत्नेन विगाह्य सेनां; सर्वात्मनाहं तव राजपुत्र ॥
इच्छामि दातुं विजयं सुखं च; न चात्मानं छादये ऽहं त्वदर्थे ॥
एते तु रौद्रा बहवो महारथा; यशस्विनः शूरतमाः कृतास्त्राः ॥
ये पाण्डवानां समरे सहाया; जितक्लमाः क्रोधविषं वमन्ति ॥
ते नेह शक्याः सहसा विजेतुं; वीर्योन्नद्धाः कृतवैरास् त्वया च ॥
अहं ह्य् एतान् प्रतियोत्स्यामि राजन्; सर्वात्मना जीवितं त्यज्य वीर ॥
रणे तवार्थाय महानुभाव; न जीवितं रक्ष्यतमं ममाद्य ॥
सर्वांस् तवार्थाय सदेवदैत्यांल्; लोकान् दहेयं किम् उ शत्रूंस् तवेह ॥
तत् पाण्डवान् योधयिष्यामि राजन्; प्रियं च ते सर्वम् अहं करिष्ये ॥
श्रुत्वैव चैतत् परमप्रतीतो; दुर्योधनः प्रीतमना बभूव ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
atha śūrā mahārāja parasparakṛtāgasaḥ ||
jagmuḥ svaśibirāṇy eva rudhireṇa samukṣitāḥ ||
viśramya ca yathānyāyaṃ pūjayitvā parasparam ||
saṃnaddhāḥ samadṛśyanta bhūyo yuddhacikīrṣayā ||
tatas tava suto rājaṃś cintayābhipariplutaḥ ||
visravac choṇitāktāṅgaḥ papracchedaṃ pitāmaham ||
sainyāni raudrāṇi bhayānakāni; vyūḍhāni samyag bahuladhvajāni ||
vidārya hatvā ca nipīḍya śūrās; te pāṇḍavānāṃ tvaritā rathaughāḥ ||
saṃmohya sarvān yudhi kīrtimanto; vyūhaṃ ca taṃ makaraṃ vajrakalpam ||
praviśya bhīmena nibarhito 'smi; ghoraiḥ śarair mṛtyudaṇḍaprakāśaiḥ ||
kruddhaṃ tam udvīkṣya bhayena rājan; saṃmūrchito nālabhaṃ śāntim adya ||
icche prasādāt tava satyasaṃdha; prāptuṃ jayaṃ pāṇḍaveyāṃś ca hantum ||
tenaivam uktaḥ prahasan mahātmā; duryodhanaṃ jātamanyuṃ viditvā ||
taṃ pratyuvācāvimanā manasvī; gaṅgāsutaḥ śastrabhṛtāṃ variṣṭhaḥ ||
pareṇa yatnena vigāhya senāṃ; sarvātmanāhaṃ tava rājaputra ||
icchāmi dātuṃ vijayaṃ sukhaṃ ca; na cātmānaṃ chādaye 'haṃ tvadarthe ||
ete tu raudrā bahavo mahārathā; yaśasvinaḥ śūratamāḥ kṛtāstrāḥ ||
ye pāṇḍavānāṃ samare sahāyā; jitaklamāḥ krodhaviṣaṃ vamanti ||
te neha śakyāḥ sahasā vijetuṃ; vīryonnaddhāḥ kṛtavairās tvayā ca ||
ahaṃ hy etān pratiyotsyāmi rājan; sarvātmanā jīvitaṃ tyajya vīra ||
raṇe tavārthāya mahānubhāva; na jīvitaṃ rakṣyatamaṃ mamādya ||
sarvāṃs tavārthāya sadevadaityāṃl; lokān daheyaṃ kim u śatrūṃs taveha ||
tat pāṇḍavān yodhayiṣyāmi rājan; priyaṃ ca te sarvam ahaṃ kariṣye ||
śrutvaiva caitat paramapratīto; duryodhanaḥ prītamanā babhūva ||
Sanjaya said: 'Then the heroes, great king, having wounded one another, sprinkled with blood, went to their own camps. Having rested as was proper and paid honor to one another, they again appeared armed, desiring a new battle. Then your son, O king, seized with anxiety, his body drenched in flowing blood, addressed the grandsire: "The fierce and terrible armies of the Pandavas, rightly arrayed and rich with banners, their swift streams of chariots, their renowned heroes — they broke through, slew, and crushed our forces. In battle they bewildered everyone, entered that makara formation firm as the vajra, and Bhima overwhelmed me with terrible arrows resembling the rods of death. Seeing him enraged, I grew faint with fear and have found no peace even today, O king. O true to your vow, I wish, by your grace, to attain victory and to slay the sons of Pandu." When he had spoken thus, the magnanimous son of Ganga, foremost among wielders of weapons, understood Duryodhana's wrath and, smiling, answered him unperturbed: "Having penetrated the army with utmost effort, I, with my whole self, wish to give you victory and happiness, O prince. For your sake I do not spare myself. But among the Pandavas in battle are many formidable maharathas, renowned, most valiant, trained in the astras; they have conquered fatigue and spew forth the poison of wrath. They cannot swiftly be overcome: they are exalted by valor and have, moreover, been made your enemies by you yourself. Yet I, O king, shall fight them with my whole self, having renounced life, for your sake in battle, O hero. Today, for me, life is not what matters most, O magnanimous one. For your sake I would burn all the worlds together with the gods and daityas — how much more your enemies here. Therefore I shall fight the Pandavas, O king, and do everything that pleases you." Hearing this, Duryodhana became fully satisfied and glad at heart.'
2728dcc43103 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:38:21 PM UTC
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Duryodhana seeks from Bhishma not truth but confirmation of his hope for victory. Bhishma states plainly that the Pandavas became enemies through Duryodhana's own doing, yet then still promises to serve his cause even at the cost of his life: the tragedy of duty sounds especially sharp here.