Mahabharata 6.49.38 — Bhishma Parva, Adhyaya 49, Shloka 38
Droṇa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna-yuddha (द्रोण-धृष्टद्युम्न-युद्धम्) — Tactical duel and allied interventions
बाल्लीकं तु रणे क्रुद्धं क़ुद्धलूपो विशाम्पते । अभ्यद्रवदमेयात्मा धृष्टकेतुर्महारथ:,प्रजानाथ! रणक्षेत्रमें कृपित हुए बाह्नीकपर अपरिमित आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न महारथी धृष्टकेतुने क्रोधपूर्वक आक्रमण किया
bāllīkaṁ tu raṇe kruddhaṁ kruddhalūpo viśāmpate | abhyadravad ameyātmā dhṛṣṭaketur mahārathaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O lord of men, on the battlefield the mighty chariot-warrior Dhṛṣṭaketu—of immeasurable spirit—charged in wrath against Bāllīka, who himself was aflame with anger. The verse shows how, when fury is kindled on both sides, it drives warriors into direct assault and deepens the human and moral cost of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse implicitly warns how krodha (anger) narrows judgment and propels immediate aggression; when both sides are enraged, conflict escalates rapidly, increasing suffering and obscuring dharmic restraint.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Dhṛṣṭaketu, a great chariot-warrior, rushes to attack Bāllīka on the battlefield; both are described as wrathful, emphasizing the intensity of the clash.
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