Shloka 196
उन्मत्त इव विप्रेक्षन्निदं वचनमत्रवीत् | तदनन्तर इन्द्रपुत्र अर्जुन होशमें आकर क्रोधसे व्याकुल हो मानो ज्वरसे काँप रहे हों-- इस प्रकार बारंबार लंबी साँस खींचते और हाथपर हाथ मलते हुए नेत्रोंसे आँसू बहाने लगे और उन्मत्तके समान देखते हुए इस तरह बोले--
unmatta iva viprekṣann idaṃ vacanam abravīt | tadanantaram indraputraḥ arjunaḥ hośam āgatya krodhena vyākulaḥ māno jvarena kampamānaḥ—evaṃ bāraṃbāraṃ dīrghāṃ śvāsān gṛhṇan hastau parasparaṃ mṛdnann netrābhyām aśrūṇi muñcan unmatta-sadṛśaṃ prekṣamāṇaḥ itthaṃ uvāca ||
Staring about as if deranged, he spoke these words. Immediately afterward Arjuna, the son of Indra, came back to his senses; but overwhelmed by anger, trembling as though seized by fever, he repeatedly drew long breaths, rubbed his hands together, and let tears stream from his eyes. Looking like one distraught, he then spoke in this manner—revealing how even a righteous warrior, when struck by grief and outrage, can be shaken at the very edge of dharma amid the violence of war.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and psychological strain of war: even a disciplined hero can be thrown into a near-maddened state by grief and anger. It implicitly warns that intense emotion can cloud judgment, making the maintenance of dharma difficult precisely when it is most needed.
After a shocking turn of events, Arjuna regains awareness but is seized by rage and sorrow. He trembles, sighs repeatedly, rubs his hands, and weeps—then begins to speak, signaling an impending reaction or decision driven by the crisis.