Mahabharata 7.141.64 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 141, Shloka 64
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
सो<पसृत्य द्रुतं सूतो युधामन्यो रथं ययौ । विहसन्निव भीमस्य क्रुद्ध: कालानलद्युति:
so ’pasṛtya drutaṃ sūto yudhāmanyo rathaṃ yayau | vihasann iva bhīmasya kruddhaḥ kālānaladyutiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Se retirant un peu puis filant avec vitesse, le cocher lança en avant le char de Yudhāmanyu. Rayonnant comme le feu du Temps à la fin d’un âge, il s’avança dans la colère, comme s’il riait avec mépris de Bhīma—image de l’élan farouche de la guerre, où rage et dédain portent l’acte au-delà de toute retenue.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, inner states—especially anger and contempt—can become the driving force of action. By likening the warrior’s energy to the ‘fire of Time,’ it suggests that unchecked rage aligns one with destructive inevitability (kāla), raising an ethical warning: martial power without self-mastery tends toward ruin rather than righteous purpose.
Sañjaya describes a rapid tactical movement: the charioteer, after briefly pulling back, swiftly drives Yudhāmanyu’s chariot forward. The advance is portrayed as fierce and intimidating—‘as if laughing’ at Bhīma—emphasizing the intensity of the confrontation and the apocalyptic ferocity of the attacker’s mood.
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