Shloka 9
जानन्तो व्यवसायं च क्रूरं मारुततेजस: । किमर्थ क्रूरकर्माणं यमकालान्तकोपमम्
jānanto vyavasāyaṃ ca krūraṃ mārutatejasaḥ | kimarthaṃ krūrakarmāṇaṃ yamakālāntakopamam ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Though they knew the fierce resolve of the mighty son of Māruta, why did they provoke that doer of terrible deeds, who was like Yama—the very end-time of death?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Knowing a person’s nature and power, one should act with restraint and foresight; provoking a fierce, wrathful agent of destruction invites disproportionate suffering and becomes an ethical failure of judgment.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects with alarm on the consequences of antagonizing Bhīma—renowned for wind-like might and terrible resolve—wondering why the Kaurava side chose to incite or confront someone likened to Death itself.