Shloka 16
भीष्मपातने कर्णविलापः | Karṇa’s Lament upon Seeing Bhīṣma Fallen
समिद्धो5ग्निर्यथा वीर महाज्वालो द्रुमान् दहेत्
samiddho 'gnir yathā vīra mahājvālo drumān dahet
Sañjaya dit : «Ô héros, de même qu’un feu bien attisé, flamboyant de grandes langues, consumerait les arbres, ainsi la fureur et la force de ce guerrier semblaient prêtes à dévorer tous ceux qui se dresseraient devant lui.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid simile to convey how unchecked martial power can become indiscriminate and consuming—like fire that does not distinguish among trees. Ethically, it highlights the terrifying momentum of violence in war and the need for restraint and discernment (dharma) amid destructive capability.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describes a warrior’s overwhelming, blazing energy on the battlefield. The comparison to a great fire signals that the fighter’s advance threatens to burn through opposing forces as easily as flames consume a forest.