Shloka 35
अभिपेतू रणे पार्थ पतज्रा इव पावकम् | वे विदेह, कलिंग, दासेरक, निषाद, सौवीर, बाह्लीक, दरद, प्रतीच्य, उदीच्य, मालव, अभीषाह, शूरसेन, शिबि, वसाति, शाल्व, शक, त्रिगर्त, अम्बष्ठ और केकयदेशोंके नरेशगण उस महायुद्धमें कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनपर उसी प्रकार धावा करने लगे, जैसे पतंग प्रज्वलित आगपर टूटे पड़ते हैं | ३२--३४ ह ।। शलभा इव राजेन्द्र पार्थमप्रतिमं रणे । एतान् सर्वान् सहानीकान् महाराज महारथान्
sañjaya uvāca | abhipetū raṇe pārtha pataṅgā iva pāvakam | videha-kaliṅga-dāseraka-niṣāda-sauvīra-bāhlīka-darada-pratīcya-udīcya-mālava-abhīṣāha-śūrasena-śibi-vasāti-śālva-śaka-trigarta-ambaṣṭha-kekayadeśeṣu nṛpāḥ tasmin mahāyuddhe kuntīkumarārjunam abhyadravan yathā śalabhāḥ pradīptaṃ vahnim | śalabhā iva rājendra pārtham apratimaṃ raṇe | etān sarvān sahānīkān mahārāja mahārathān ||
सञ्जय उवाच—तस्मिन् रणे पार्थं प्रति ते नृपाः शलभा इव प्रज्वलितं पावकं समभ्यपतन्। विदेह-कलिङ्ग-दासेरक-निषाद-सौवीर-बाह्लीक-दरद-प्रतीच्य-उदीच्य-मालव-अभीषाह-शूरसेन-शिबि-वसाति-शाल्व-शक-त्रिगर्त-अम्बष्ठ-केकयदेशाधिपतयः सहानीकाः महारथाश्च, महायुद्धे कुन्तीकुमारं धनञ्जयं विनाशाकृष्टा इवाभ्यधावन्।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the moth-to-flame image to show how, in war, collective passion and pride can override discernment: courage without wise judgment becomes self-destructive, and mass aggression may rush toward an inevitable defeat when directed against a superior warrior.
Sañjaya reports that many regional kings and their forces, along with great chariot-warriors, simultaneously charge Arjuna in the great battle, likening their assault to moths plunging into a blazing fire—suggesting both the intensity of the attack and the peril of confronting Arjuna.