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 ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra nói: “Ta thức trắng mọi đêm, thở ra những tiếng thở dài dài và nóng rực. Con ơi, sợ Vṛkodara, ta như một loài thú khác khiếp đảm trước sư tử.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
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.