"'Yudhishthira said, "By good luck, O Suyodhana, thou knowest the duties
of a Kshatriya! By good luck, O thou of mighty arms, thy heart inclineth
to battle! By good luck, thou art a hero, O thou of Kuru's race, and, by
good luck, thou art conversant with battle, since, single-handed, thou
wishest to meet all of us in battle! Fight any one of us, taking whatever
weapon thou likest! All of us will stand as spectators here! I grant thee
also, O hero, this (other) wish of thy heart, that if thou slayest any of
us, thou shalt then become king! Otherwise, slain by us, go to heaven!"
"'Duryodhana said, "A brave man as thou art, if thou grantest me the
option of fighting only one of you, this mace that I hold in my hand is
the weapon that I select! Let any one amongst you who thinks that he will
be my match come forward and fight with me on foot, armed with mace! Many
wonderful single combats have occurred on cars! Let this one great and
wonderful combat with the mace happen today! Men (while fighting) desire
to change weapons. Let the manner of the fight be changed today, with thy
permission! O thou of mighty arms, I shall, with my mace, vanquish thee
today with all thy younger brothers, as also all the Pancalas and the
Srinjayas and all the other troops thou still hast! I do not cherish the
least fear, O Yudhishthira, of even Shakra himself!'
"'Yudhishthira said, "Rise, rise, O son of Gandhari, and fight me,
Suyodhana! Alone as thou art, fight us, encountering one at a time, thou
of great might, armed with thy mace! Be a man, O son of Gandhari, and
fight with good care! Today thou shalt have to lay down thy life even if
Indra becomes thy ally!"
"Sanjaya continued, 'That tiger among men, thy son, could not bear these
words of Yudhishthira.
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