Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 12
ततः स रथमास्थाय ज्वलनार्कसमद्युतिम् । अब्रवीद् वीर्यसम्मोहात् को वास्ति सदृशो मम
tataḥ sa ratham āsthāya jvalanārkasamadyutim | abravīd vīryasammohāt ko vāsti sadṛśo mama
Then he mounted his chariot, radiant like blazing fire and the sun. Overcome by the intoxication of his own prowess, he declared, “Who is there that is equal to me?”
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.