Shloka 286
भीमसेनस्य वेगाभिपातः—विशोकसारथिसंवादश्च
Bhīma’s surge and dialogue with charioteer Viśoka
द्रौणिर्ददाह समरे कक्षमग्निर्यथा वने । जैसे आग वनमें सूखे काठ और घास-फूँसको जला देती है
drauṇir dadāha samare kakṣam agnir yathā vane |
Sañjaya berkata: Di tengah pertempuran, Aśvatthāmā, putera Droṇa, mula membakar bala musuh seperti api rimba yang memakan ranting dan lalang kering. Dengan rentetan anak panah yang menyala bagaikan lidah api, dia menyerbu tentera Pāṇḍava seolah-olah mereka kayu bakar—suatu gambaran yang menegaskan bahawa apabila amarah dan kemahiran perang dilepaskan tanpa kendali, perang menjadikan makhluk hidup sebagai bahan bakar kemusnahan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the forest-fire simile to highlight how unchecked martial rage can rapidly turn a battlefield into indiscriminate devastation. It implicitly warns that when power is driven by anger rather than dharma, destruction spreads like fire through dry fuel.
Sañjaya describes Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son) attacking fiercely in the battle, his arrows compared to flames. The Pāṇḍava forces are portrayed as being consumed the way dry brush is consumed by fire in a forest.