Shloka 11
भीष्मधृतराष्ट्रसंवादः — पाण्डवबलप्रशंसा
Bhishma–Dhritarashtra Dialogue: Appraisal of Pandava Strength
युगान्ताग्निसम: क्रोधात् सिंहग्रीवो महाद्युतिः । एष भारतयुद्धस्य पृष्ठ संशमयिष्यति
yugāntāgnisamaḥ krodhāt siṁhagrīvo mahādyutiḥ | eṣa bhāratayuddhasya pṛṣṭhaṁ saṁśamayīṣyati ||
Bhishma said: “In his wrath he seems like the fire at the end of an age. With a lion-like neck and blazing splendor, this Ashvatthama will bring the remaining aftermath of the Bharata war to a close.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unchecked wrath is portrayed as apocalyptic—like the fire of cosmic dissolution—suggesting that anger can eclipse discernment and drive actions that ‘end’ conflicts not through dharmic resolution but through devastating force, leaving a morally fraught aftermath.
Bhishma describes Ashvatthama’s terrifying, radiant presence and predicts that he will ‘quell’ or ‘bring to an end’ what remains of the Bharata war—framing him as a decisive, fearsome agent in the war’s concluding phase and its residual turmoil.