Shloka 19
Śiśupāla-vadha in the Rājasūya-sabhā (शिशुपालवधः — राजसूयसभायाम्)
मुज्चैनं भीष्म पश्यन्तु यावदेनं नराधिपा: । मत्प्रभावविनिर्दग्ध॑ पतड़मिव वल्निना,'भीष्म! छोड़ दो इसे, ये सभी राजा देख लें कि यह भीम मेरे प्रभावसे उसी प्रकार दग्ध हो जायगा जैसे फतिंगा आगके पास जाते ही भस्म हो जाता है”
muñcainaṃ bhīṣma paśyantu yāvad enaṃ narādhipāḥ | matprabhāvavinirdagdhaḥ pataṅga iva vahninā ||
毗舍波耶那说：“放开他吧，毗湿摩，让这些诸王都看个分明。被我威力所焚，他必将毁灭——如飞蛾趋火，顷刻化为灰烬。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the moth-and-fire simile to warn against reckless confrontation driven by pride: approaching overwhelming power without discernment leads to self-destruction, and public displays of dominance can intensify adharma in a royal assembly.
In the court setting, the speaker (as reported by Vaiśampāyana) orders Bhīṣma to release a restrained person so the assembled kings can witness him being ‘burnt’ by the speaker’s power—framing the moment as a public demonstration meant to humiliate and deter.