Shloka 8
प्रकालयेद् दिश: सर्वा: प्रतोदेनेव सारथि: । प्रत्यमित्रश्रियं दीप्तां जिघ॒क्षुर्भरतर्षभ
prakalayed diśaḥ sarvāḥ pratodeneva sārathiḥ | pratyamittraśriyaṃ dīptāṃ jighakṣur bharatarṣabha ||
Duryodhana said: “Like a charioteer urging on his horses with the goad, he would drive forth in every direction—intent on striking down the blazing prosperity of his adversaries, O bull among the Bharatas.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a destructive ethical impulse: the will to diminish others’ prosperity out of rivalry. It implicitly warns that envy and the urge to ‘destroy the opponent’s glory’ propel conflict and undermine dharma.
Duryodhana describes an aggressive drive—like a charioteer whipping horses—pushing action in all directions with the aim of crushing the opponents’ shining success, revealing his hostile intent and competitive resentment.