Shloka 5
श्रीमतः पाण्डवान् दृष्टवा ज्वलत: पावकानिव । मुहूर्तमिव च ध्यात्वा सरोष: पृथिवीपति:
śrīmataḥ pāṇḍavān dṛṣṭvā jvalataḥ pāvakān iva | muhūrtam iva ca dhyātvā saroṣaḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ |
Voyant les illustres Pāṇḍavas, flamboyants comme des feux, le roi Virāṭa, seigneur de la terre, s’arrêta un instant, méditant en lui-même. Puis, la colère s’élevant, il s’adressa à Kaṅka, qui brillait tel Indra au milieu d’assistants semblables aux troupes des Maruts.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral tension central to dharma in governance: a ruler must pause to reflect (dhyātvā) before acting, yet strong emotion (saroṣaḥ) can quickly overtake judgment when confronted with extraordinary power (tejas). It implicitly values deliberation, while also showing how perception of threat can provoke reactive speech and decisions.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that King Virāṭa sees the Pāṇḍavas shining fiercely like flames. He thinks for a brief moment and then becomes angry, preparing to speak—setting up a charged exchange that follows, driven by Virāṭa’s reaction to their formidable presence.