Shloka 29
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
गदां भ्रामयतस्तस्य भिन्दतो हस्तिमस्तकान् । सृक्किणी लेलिहानस्य बाष्पमुत्सूजतो मुहुः
gadāṁ bhrāmayatas tasya bhindato hastimastakān | sṛkkiṇī lelihānasya bāṣpam utsṛjato muhuḥ ||
持国王说道：“当毗摩塞那挥旋铁槌，开始劈裂象首；当他舔着唇角，怒泪频频涌出——我的儿子们怎能从他那如火炽燃的手下活命？那一刻，他直扑向可怖鸣号的象王，面对狂象仓皇奔逃的嘶鸣，他以狮吼回击；又闯入我方车战勇士的阵列，挑选强者一一击倒——我的儿子们还能有什么依怙？”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral psychology of impending war: a ruler attached to unjust outcomes foresees catastrophe yet feels powerless. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s fear underscores how adharma and partiality breed insecurity, while the unstoppable force of a righteous opponent (here, Bhīma as an instrument of retribution) becomes a mirror of one’s own ethical failures.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra imagines Bhīma’s battlefield fury—whirling his mace, cleaving elephants, shedding rage-tears, and roaring back at the elephants’ cries—then asks how his sons could possibly survive when such a warrior breaks into their ranks and kills selected champions.