Shloka 26
दुःशासनवधः (Duḥśāsana-vadha) — Bhīma’s vow-fulfillment in combat
यत्र यत्र स धर्मात्मा दुष्टां दृष्टिं व्यसर्जयत् । तत्र तत्र व्यशीर्यन्त तावका भरतर्षभ
sañjaya uvāca | yatra yatra sa dharmātmā duṣṭāṃ dṛṣṭiṃ vyasarjayat | tatra tatra vyaśīryanta tāvakā bharatarṣabha ||
Disse Sañjaya: Onde quer que aquele de alma justa lançasse o seu olhar feroz, manchado pela falha da ira, ali mesmo, ó touro entre os Bhāratas, os teus guerreiros eram despedaçados e dispersos. Assim, mesmo em meio à violência da batalha, a presença de Yudhiṣṭhira—marcada por estatura moral, embora momentaneamente inflamada pela cólera—tornou-se uma força decisiva que rompia as fileiras inimigas.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a person grounded in dharma can be overtaken by anger in crisis; when moral authority is joined with wrath, it becomes especially potent and destructive. The verse implicitly warns about the power—and danger—of a 'corrupted gaze' (duṣṭā dṛṣṭi), suggesting that inner states (like krodha) can decisively shape outer outcomes.
Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Yudhiṣṭhira, though known as dharmātmā, directs a fierce, anger-tinged gaze in various directions on the battlefield, and wherever he does so, the Kaurava troops break apart and scatter.