Shloka 26
Rājarṣi-samāgamaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharma-parīkṣā ca
Meeting the Royal Sage and a Dharmic Audit
सक्रोध॑ स्तब्धनयनं संदष्टदशनच्छदम् । उद्यम्य च गदां दोर्भ्या नदीतीरेष्ववस्थितम्,उनका क्रोध शान्त नहीं हुआ था। उनकी आँखें स्तब्ध हो रही थीं। वे दोनों हाथोंसे गदा उठाये और दाँतोंसे ओठ दबाये नदीके तटपर खड़े थे
sa-krodhaḥ stabdha-nayanaṁ saṁdaṣṭa-daśana-cchadam | udyamya ca gadāṁ dorbhyāṁ nadī-tīreṣv avasthitam ||
Dijo Vaiśaṃpāyana: Aún sin aplacarse su ira, con los ojos fijos e inmóviles, apretó los dientes y cerró los labios con fuerza. Alzando su maza con ambos brazos, quedó en guardia a la orilla del río: imagen de una cólera contenida apenas por un instante, que advierte cómo la furia sin freno endurece la mirada y dispone la violencia.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of krodha (anger): it freezes discernment (fixed eyes), tightens the body into aggression (clenched teeth), and moves one toward violence (weapon raised). It implicitly urges restraint and reflection before action, aligning with dharma as self-mastery.
The narrator describes a figure on a riverbank who remains intensely enraged, physically manifesting fury—staring rigidly, biting down, and raising a mace with both arms—suggesting an imminent confrontation or threatened attack.