Shloka 61
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)
यथा निदाघे ज्वलन: समिद्धो दहेत् कक्ष वायुना चोद्यमान: | गदाहस्त: पाण्डवो वै तथैव हन्ता मदीयान् सहितोअर्जुनेन
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
yathā nidāghe jvalanaḥ samiddho dahet kakṣaṃ vāyunā codyamānaḥ |
gadā-hastaḥ pāṇḍavo vai tathaiva hantā madīyān sahito 'rjunena ||
持国王说道：“正如盛夏烈焰熊熊之火，被狂风鼓荡驱使，焚尽枯草灌木而化为灰烬；同样，手执钉头槌的般度之子毗摩，偕同持弓的阿周那，必将成为屠戮我诸子的杀者。”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unchecked conflict, once ignited, spreads like fire fanned by wind—suggesting that adharma and stubborn attachment can make destruction feel inevitable. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s lament also implies a moral failure of leadership: foreseeing ruin yet lacking the resolve to prevent it.
In Udyoga Parva, as war approaches, Dhṛtarāṣṭra voices dread about the coming battle. He envisions Bhīma—mace in hand—supported by Arjuna, destroying his sons, using a vivid simile of summer fire consuming dry brushwood.