Shloka 3
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
जागर्मि रात्रयः सर्वा दीर्घमुष्णं च नि:श्वसन् । भीतो वृकोदरात् तात सिंहात् पशुरिवापर:,वत्स! सिंहसे डरे हुए दूसरे पशुकी भाँति मैं भीमसेनसे भयभीत हो रातभर गर्म-गर्म लंबी साँसें खींचता हुआ जागता रहता हूँ
jāgarmi rātrayaḥ sarvā dīrgham uṣṇaṃ ca niḥśvasan | bhīto vṛkodarāt tāta siṃhāt paśur ivāparaḥ ||
Dhritarashtra said: “I lie awake through all the nights, breathing long, hot sighs. Dear son, frightened of Vrikodara, I am like some other beast terrified of a lion.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unchecked wrongdoing and partiality in rulership breed inner torment: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s fear and sleeplessness show how adharma produces anxiety, even before any external punishment arrives.
In Udyoga Parva, as war approaches, Dhṛtarāṣṭra confesses his distress to his interlocutor (“tāta”), saying he cannot sleep and is terrified of Bhīma (Vṛkodara), comparing himself to a helpless animal fearing a lion.