Shloka 25
Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies
धृष्टद्युम्नमुखा: सर्वे समुद्विविजिरे मुहुः । धृष्टद्युम्न आदि सूंजयवंशी उन्हें देखकर बारंबार उद्विग्न हो उठते थे। ठीक उसी तरह, जैसे मुँह बाये हुए विशाल सिंहको देखकर क्षुद्र मृग भयसे व्याकुल हो उठते हैं || २४ ई ।।
dhṛṣṭadyumnamukhāḥ sarve samudvivijire muhuḥ |
Tất cả những người do Dhṛṣṭadyumna dẫn đầu đều nhiều lần bối rối và kinh hãi. Hễ nhìn thấy ông, họ lại bị nỗi sợ dồn dập tràn tới—như bầy nai nhỏ hoảng loạn khi thấy sư tử lớn há miệng.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and practical reality that in warfare, inner steadiness is as decisive as weapons: repeated fear and agitation can undermine even a large force, while a formidable leader’s presence can dominate the opponent’s mind.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the troops facing Dhṛṣṭadyumna are repeatedly unsettled on seeing him, using a vivid simile—small deer panicking before a great lion—to convey the imbalance of confidence on the battlefield.