Shloka 333
शुशुभे भरतश्रेष्ठो नक्षत्रैरिव चन्द्रमा: । नरेश्वर! उन शूरवीरोंद्वारा सब ओरसे घिरे हुए शौर्यसम्पन्न भरतश्रेष्ठ भीम नक्षत्रोंसे घिरे हुए चन्द्रमाके समान सुशोभित होने लगे
śuśubhe bharataśreṣṭho nakṣatrair iva candramāḥ | nareśvara! unā śūravīrair dvārā sarvato ghiritaḥ śauryasampannaḥ bharataśreṣṭho bhīmaḥ nakṣatrair ghiritaḥ candramā iva suśobhitaḥ babhūva |
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, yang terunggul dalam keturunan Bharata—Bhīma, kaya dengan keberanian—tetap bersinar cemerlang meski dikepung para pahlawan itu dari segenap sisi, bagaikan bulan yang bercahaya ketika dilingkari bintang-bintang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral-psychological insight: genuine courage and excellence become most visible when challenged. Being surrounded by danger does not necessarily diminish virtue or strength; it can reveal and intensify it—like the moon’s radiance amid the stars.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Bhīma, encircled by many heroic fighters, nevertheless appears resplendent and formidable. The comparison to the moon among stars emphasizes his prominence despite being outnumbered.