Shloka 8
Irāvān-nidhana-anantaraṃ Ghaṭotkaca-nādaḥ
After Irāvān’s fall: Ghaṭotkaca’s roar and the clash with Duryodhana
ततः क्रोधात् प्रजज्वाल धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिर: यथा युगान्ते भूतानि दिधक्षुरिव पावक:
tataḥ krodhāt prajajvāla dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | yathā yugānte bhūtāni didhakṣur iva pāvakaḥ ||
यह देखकर धर्मपुत्र युधिष्ठिर क्रोध से वैसे ही प्रज्वलित हो उठे, जैसे युगान्त में समस्त प्राणियों को भस्म करने की इच्छा वाला अग्नि।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension that even a dharmic person like Yudhiṣṭhira can be overtaken by fierce anger in war; it implicitly warns that wrath can become all-consuming, resembling cosmic fire, and thus must be understood and restrained within dharma.
Sañjaya describes Yudhiṣṭhira suddenly flaring up in anger, comparing him to end-of-age fire that seems ready to burn all beings—signaling a dramatic escalation of emotion on the battlefield.