शुशुभे भरतश्रेष्ठो नक्षत्रैरिव चन्द्रमा: । नरेश्वर! उन शूरवीरोंद्वारा सब ओरसे घिरे हुए शौर्यसम्पन्न भरतश्रेष्ठ भीम नक्षत्रोंसे घिरे हुए चन्द्रमाके समान सुशोभित होने लगे
śuśubhe bharataśreṣṭho nakṣatrair iva candramāḥ | nareśvara! unā śūravīrair dvārā sarvato ghiritaḥ śauryasampannaḥ bharataśreṣṭho bhīmaḥ nakṣatrair ghiritaḥ candramā iva suśobhitaḥ babhūva |
Sañjaya sprach: O König, der Vortrefflichste der Bhāratas — Bhīma, reich an Tapferkeit — leuchtete strahlend, obwohl er von jenen Helden ringsum umgeben war, wie der Mond erglänzt, wenn ihn die Sterne umkränzen.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights a moral-psychological insight: genuine courage and excellence become most visible when challenged. Being surrounded by danger does not necessarily diminish virtue or strength; it can reveal and intensify it—like the moon’s radiance amid the stars.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Bhīma, encircled by many heroic fighters, nevertheless appears resplendent and formidable. The comparison to the moon among stars emphasizes his prominence despite being outnumbered.