Shloka 24
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Dialogue on Peace and the Refusal of Compromise
यदा द्रक्ष्यसि भीमेन कुञ्जरान् विनिपातितान् । विशीर्णदन्तान् गिर्याभान् भिन्नकुम्भान् सशोणितान्
yadā drakṣyasi bhīmena kuñjarān vinipātitān | viśīrṇadantān giryābhān bhinnakumbhān saśoṇitān ||
Ketika engkau menyaksikan gajah-gajah besar dijatuhkan oleh Bhīma—sebesar gunung, gadingnya remuk, pelipisnya terbelah dan berlumur darah—maka pemandangan itu sendiri akan menanamkan gentar dalam dadamu.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is not a moral injunction but a rhetorical threat: it highlights how displays of overwhelming force are used to intimidate opponents and shape their resolve. Ethically, it illustrates the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between kṣatriya valor and the corrosive effects of pride, taunting, and fear-driven counsel.
Duryodhana, speaking in the Udyoga Parva, evokes a vivid battlefield image—Bhīma felling massive elephants with broken tusks and split temples—to warn that the addressee will later remember Duryodhana’s words in terror, even at the prospect of encountering Bhīma.