Shloka 11
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः
यथानलं प्रज्वलितं पतड़्ा: समभिद्रुता: । विनाशायोपगच्छन्ति तथा मे सैनिको जन:
sañjaya uvāca |
yathānalaṃ prajvalitaṃ pataṅgāḥ samabhidrutāḥ |
vināśāyopagacchanti tathā me sainiko janaḥ ||
Sañjaya nói: “Như bướm đêm lao thẳng vào ngọn lửa rực cháy chỉ để gặp diệt vong, thì quân sĩ của ta cũng đang tiến về chính sự tàn phá của mình.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tragic momentum of war: when judgment is clouded by fear, loyalty, or compulsion, people may rush toward certain harm—like moths drawn to flame. It implicitly critiques leadership and collective delusion that drive a force toward self-destruction.
Sañjaya describes the Kaurava soldiers’ approach to battle as suicidal, using the image of moths plunging into a blazing fire. In the immediate context, the ‘fire’ is the overwhelming martial power they are facing (notably Bhīṣma), and Sañjaya conveys the sense of inevitable slaughter.