Shloka 11
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः
यथानलं प्रज्वलितं पतड़्ा: समभिद्रुता: । विनाशायोपगच्छन्ति तथा मे सैनिको जन:
sañjaya uvāca |
yathānalaṃ prajvalitaṃ pataṅgāḥ samabhidrutāḥ |
vināśāyopagacchanti tathā me sainiko janaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : «De même que les papillons de nuit, se précipitant, volent dans un feu ardent pour n’y trouver que la destruction, ainsi mes soldats marchent vers leur propre ruine.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tragic momentum of war: when judgment is clouded by fear, loyalty, or compulsion, people may rush toward certain harm—like moths drawn to flame. It implicitly critiques leadership and collective delusion that drive a force toward self-destruction.
Sañjaya describes the Kaurava soldiers’ approach to battle as suicidal, using the image of moths plunging into a blazing fire. In the immediate context, the ‘fire’ is the overwhelming martial power they are facing (notably Bhīṣma), and Sañjaya conveys the sense of inevitable slaughter.