Shloka 4
जतुगृहदाहः — The Burning of the Lac House and the Pāṇḍavas’ Concealed Escape
सिंहर्षभगजेन्द्राणां बलवीर्यपराक्रम: । दीप्तिकान्तिद्युतिगुणै: सूर्येन्दुज्वलनोपम:,उसमें सिंहके समान बल, साँड़के समान वीर्य तथा गजराजके समान पराक्रम था, वह दीप्तिसे सूर्य, कान्तिसे चन्द्रमा तथा तेजरूपी गुणसे अग्निके समान जान पड़ता था
siṁharṣabhagajendrāṇāṁ balavīryaparākramaḥ | dīptikāntidyutiguṇaiḥ sūryendujvalanopamaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: He possessed strength like a lion, virility like a bull, and heroic prowess like the lord of elephants. By his radiance he seemed like the sun, by his beauty like the moon, and by the quality of blazing energy like fire—an idealized portrait of a ruler whose outward splendor signals inner power and fitness for leadership.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents the epic ideal of a leader: strength, vigor, and courageous initiative, complemented by a visible radiance and dignity. In Mahābhārata’s ethical imagination, such splendor is not mere ornament but a sign of capacity to protect and uphold order.
Vaiśampāyana is describing a person (contextually, a heroic figure) through a chain of similes—lion, bull, elephant, sun, moon, and fire—using conventional epic imagery to convey extraordinary power, attractiveness, and commanding presence.