Mahabharata 7.3.18 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 3, Shloka 18
भीष्मपातने कर्णविलापः | Karṇa’s Lament upon Seeing Bhīṣma Fallen
तेन तेन प्रदहतो भूरिगुल्मतृणद्रुमान् “वायु और अग्निदेव--ये दोनों एक साथ वनमें जिस-जिस मार्गसे फैलते हैं, उसी- उसीके द्वारा बहुत-से तृण, वृक्ष और लताओंको भस्म करते जाते हैं ।।
sañjaya uvāca | tena tena pradahato bhūri-gulma-tṛṇa-drumān | vāyur agniś ca tau dvāv ekatra vanam āśritau | yathā yathā pathā yātau tathā tathā pradahataḥ || yādṛśo 'gniḥ samuddhūtas tādṛk pārtho na saṃśayaḥ ||
వారు ఏ ఏ మార్గాలుగా వ్యాపిస్తారో, ఆ ఆ మార్గాలుగానే అనేక పొదలు, గడ్డి, వృక్షాలను దహించివేస్తారు. గాలిచేత మరింత రగిలిన అగ్ని ఎలా ఉంటుందో, అట్లే పార్థుడు (అర్జునుడు)—సందేహమే లేదు.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the unstoppable momentum of a warrior’s force once fully aroused—like fire strengthened by wind—suggesting that in war, power amplified by favorable conditions becomes difficult to restrain and brings widespread consequences.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra using a vivid simile: as wind and fire together burn a forest along every path they spread, so Arjuna (Partha), once ‘fanned’ into action, is consuming enemy forces in his advance.
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