Shloka 12
Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 52: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava Strength and the Case for Restraint
तपन्तमभि को मन्द: पतिष्यति पतड्भवत् । पाण्डवाग्निमनावार्य मुमूर्षुर्नष्टचेतन:
tapantam abhi ko mandaḥ patiṣyati pataṅgavat | pāṇḍavāgnim anāvārya mumūrṣur naṣṭacetanaḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Who, being so foolish, would rush toward what is blazing—like a moth falling into a flame? Yet, with mind lost and courting death, one would still plunge into the uncheckable fire of the Pāṇḍavas.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Reckless hostility toward the powerful and righteous is self-destructive: like a moth drawn to flame, a person who has lost discernment rushes into inevitable ruin. The verse warns against delusion, pride, and ignoring prudent counsel.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects anxiously on the looming conflict, portraying the Pāṇḍavas as an unstoppable ‘fire.’ He implies that only someone senseless and courting death would provoke or attack them, hinting at the disastrous course his side is taking.