Shloka 61
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
यथा निदाघे ज्वलन: समिद्धो दहेत् कक्ष वायुना चोद्यमान: | गदाहस्त: पाण्डवो वै तथैव हन्ता मदीयान् सहितोअर्जुनेन
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
yathā nidāghe jvalanaḥ samiddho dahet kakṣaṃ vāyunā codyamānaḥ |
gadā-hastaḥ pāṇḍavo vai tathaiva hantā madīyān sahito 'rjunena ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Seperti api yang menyala hebat di panas musim kemarau, didorong dan dikipasi angin hingga membakar semak kering dan rimba sampai menjadi abu, demikian pula Bhīma sang Pāṇḍava, bergada di tangan dan ditemani Arjuna, akan menjadi pembantai putra-putraku.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unchecked conflict, once ignited, spreads like fire fanned by wind—suggesting that adharma and stubborn attachment can make destruction feel inevitable. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s lament also implies a moral failure of leadership: foreseeing ruin yet lacking the resolve to prevent it.
In Udyoga Parva, as war approaches, Dhṛtarāṣṭra voices dread about the coming battle. He envisions Bhīma—mace in hand—supported by Arjuna, destroying his sons, using a vivid simile of summer fire consuming dry brushwood.