Shloka 20
Rajo-dhūli-saṃmūḍha-saṅgrāmaḥ
The Dust-Obscured Battle and Mutual Charges
पुरा चैवापराधेन वधेन च चमूपते: । मन्ये मन: प्रजज्वाल पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम्
purā caivāparādhena vadhena ca camūpateḥ | manye manaḥ prajajvāla pāṇḍavānāṁ mahātmanām ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra dit : «Déjà auparavant, par les torts commis contre eux — et maintenant par la mise à mort de leur commandant — je crois que le cœur des Pāṇḍava, ces âmes magnanimes, s’est embrasé comme un feu. Leur colère, née de l’injure et de l’injustice, doit à présent brûler avec violence.»
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wrongdoing (aparādha) and violent loss (vadha) kindle lasting resentment; Dhṛtarāṣṭra recognizes that injustice fuels a moral and psychological fire that escalates conflict and makes reconciliation harder.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects on the Pāṇḍavas’ state of mind: earlier offences committed against them, together with the killing of their army-commander, have likely inflamed their hearts, intensifying their resolve in the war.