Shloka 333
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 said: O king, the foremost of the Bharatas—Bhīma, rich in valor—shone brilliantly though surrounded on every side by those heroic warriors, just as the moon shines when encircled by the stars.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.