Shloka 12
ततः स रथमास्थाय ज्वलनार्कसमद्युतिम् । अब्रवीद् वीर्यसम्मोहात् को वास्ति सदृशो मम
tataḥ sa ratham āsthāya jvalanārkasamadyutim | abravīd vīryasammohāt ko vāsti sadṛśo mama
Darauf bestieg er seinen Wagen, strahlend wie loderndes Feuer und die Sonne. Von der Trunkenheit der eigenen Kraft überwältigt, rief er: „Wer ist mir ebenbürtig?“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse cautions that brilliance and strength can breed vīrya-sammohā—delusion or intoxication arising from one’s own prowess—leading to arrogant self-assertion. Ethically, it warns that true dharma requires humility and self-mastery, not boastful comparison with others.
A warrior (recounted by Bhīṣma) mounts a chariot shining like fire and the sun and, carried away by confidence in his power, proclaims that no one is his equal. The moment sets a tone of overconfidence that often precedes moral or strategic downfall in epic narratives.