Shloka 37
कर्णपर्व — चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः
Arjuna’s Suppression of the Saṃśaptakas; Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Admonition; Battlefield Inventory
क्रोधरक्तेक्षणौ तौ तु क्रोधात् प्रस्फुरिताधरौ । क्रोधात् संदष्टदशनौ तथैव दशनच्छदौ,क्रोधसे उन दोनोंकी आँखें लाल हो गयी थीं। क्रोधसे उनके ओठ फड़क रहे थे और क्रोधसे ही वे ओठ चबाते एवं दाँत पीसते थे
krodharakteṣaṇau tau tu krodhāt prasphuritādharau | krodhāt saṃdaṣṭadaśanau tathaiva daśanacchadau ||
Sañjaya berkata: Mata keduanya memerah oleh amarah; bibir mereka bergetar karena murka; dan dalam gejolak itu mereka mengatupkan gigi, menggeretakkannya, bahkan menggigit bibir sendiri.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how krodha (anger) visibly and physically overwhelms a person—reddened eyes, twitching lips, clenched teeth—signaling loss of inner balance. In the Mahabharata’s ethical frame, such signs warn that judgment and dharmic restraint are being eclipsed by passion, increasing the likelihood of reckless, harmful action.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the intense emotional state of two combatants in the Karṇa Parva. Their bodily reactions—red eyes, quivering lips, teeth grinding—show that the confrontation has escalated into raw fury, foreshadowing harsh words or violent deeds on the battlefield.