Shloka 3
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
जागर्मि रात्रयः सर्वा दीर्घमुष्णं च नि:श्वसन् । भीतो वृकोदरात् तात सिंहात् पशुरिवापर:
jāgarmi rātrayaḥ sarvā dīrgham uṣṇaṃ ca niḥśvasan | bhīto vṛkodarāt tāta siṃhāt paśur ivāparaḥ ||
Dhritarashtra disse: “Fico acordado por todas as noites, soltando longos suspiros ardentes. Meu filho, temendo Vrikodara, sou como qualquer outra fera aterrorizada diante de um leão.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unchecked wrongdoing and partiality in rulership breed inner torment: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s fear and sleeplessness show how adharma produces anxiety, even before any external punishment arrives.
In Udyoga Parva, as war approaches, Dhṛtarāṣṭra confesses his distress to his interlocutor (“tāta”), saying he cannot sleep and is terrified of Bhīma (Vṛkodara), comparing himself to a helpless animal fearing a lion.