Shloka 66
प्रावेशयद्भधुतवहं पतज्गभमिव मोहित: । अहो! दुर्योधनने मोहित होकर युद्धकी कलासे अनभिज्ञ दुर्मुखको अकेले ही पतंगकी भाँति आगमें झोंक दिया
prāveśayad durmukhaṁ mohitah pataṅgam iva vahnim | aho duryodhanaḥ mohitah yuddha-kalāyā anabhijñaṁ durmukham ekākinaṁ pataṅga-vad agnau jhoṅkitaḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Alas! Duryodhana, deluded, thrust Durmukha—unskilled in the arts of war—alone into the blaze, like a moth into fire.” The line underscores the ethical blindness of ambition: a leader’s infatuation with victory can turn comrades into expendable fuel, violating the duty of protection owed to one’s own men.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how moha (delusion) in leadership leads to adharma: treating allies as expendable and pushing the unprepared into ruin. Ethical command requires discernment, protection of one’s dependents, and restraint of ambition.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra laments that Duryodhana, blinded by delusion, sent Durmukha—described as inexperienced in the arts of war—into the deadly battle alone, likening him to a moth thrown into fire.