Shloka 26
पदातिनो<पि संत्यज्य प्रियं जीवितमात्मन: । भीममभ्यद्रवन् संख्ये पतड़ा ज्वलनं यथा,वे पैदल सैनिक भी अपने प्यारे प्राणोंका मोह छोड़कर उस युद्धस्थलमें भीमसेनकी ओर उसी प्रकार दौड़े, जैसे पतंग आगपर टूट पड़ते हैं
padātino 'pi santyajya priyaṁ jīvitam ātmanaḥ | bhīmam abhyadravan saṅkhye pataṅgā jvalanaṁ yathā ||
Sañjaya said: Even the foot-soldiers, casting aside their own dear life, rushed toward Bhīma on the battlefield—just as moths fling themselves into a blazing fire. The verse underscores the war’s grim momentum: courage and desperation blur, and men, seized by duty to their side or by battle-fury, run headlong toward near-certain death.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the terrifying pull of war: soldiers may abandon attachment to life and rush into danger, driven by allegiance, duty, or frenzy. Ethically, it invites reflection on how collective violence can make self-preservation seem secondary to group obligation or momentary passion.
Sañjaya describes infantrymen charging straight at Bhīma in the thick of battle. The comparison to moths rushing into fire emphasizes both Bhīma’s deadly power and the near-suicidal intensity of the attackers’ advance.