इमं हि पुण्डरीकाक्षं जिघृक्षन्त्य् अल्पचेतसः ॥
पटेनाग्निं प्रज्वलितं यथा बाला यथा जडाः ॥
सात्यकेस् तद् वचः श्रुत्वा विदुरो दीर्घदर्शिवान् ॥
धृतराष्ट्रं महाबाहुम् अब्रवीत् कुरुसंसदि ॥
राजन् परीतकालास् ते पुत्राः सर्वे परंतप ॥
अयशस्यम् अशक्यं च कर्म कर्तुं समुद्यताः ॥
इमं हि पुण्डरीकाक्षम् अभिभूय प्रसह्य च ॥
निग्रहीतुं किलेच्छन्ति सहिता वासवानुजम् ॥
इमं पुरुषशार्दूलम् अप्रधृष्यं दुरासदम् ॥
आसाद्य न भविष्यन्ति पतंगा इव पावकम् ॥
imaṃ hi puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ jighṛkṣanty alpacetasaḥ ||
paṭenāgniṃ prajvalitaṃ yathā bālā yathā jaḍāḥ ||
sātyakes tad vacaḥ śrutvā viduro dīrghadarśivān ||
dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ mahābāhum abravīt kurusaṃsadi ||
rājan parītakālās te putrāḥ sarve paraṃtapa ||
ayaśasyam aśakyaṃ ca karma kartuṃ samudyatāḥ ||
imaṃ hi puṇḍarīkākṣam abhibhūya prasahya ca ||
nigrahītuṃ kilecchanti sahitā vāsavānujam ||
imaṃ puruṣaśārdūlam apradhṛṣyaṃ durāsadam ||
āsādya na bhaviṣyanti pataṃgā iva pāvakam ||
"These shallow-minded men wish to seize the lotus-eyed Krishna, as children and fools try to cover a blazing fire with a piece of cloth." Hearing Satyaki's words, the far-sighted Vidura addressed the mighty-armed Dhritarashtra in the Kuru assembly: "O king, scorcher of foes, all your sons have already been overtaken by time: they have resolved to do a deed both inglorious and impossible. Gathered together, they wish to overpower by force and take into custody this lotus-eyed one, the younger brother of Vasava. But approaching this tiger among men, unassailable and unattainable, they will perish like moths before a fire."
e13296910aa3 · published Jul 17, 2026, 5:51:08 AM UTC
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The comparison to cloth used to try to cover fire reveals the nature of their error. Krishna is not merely a strong hero among other heroes; the attempt to forcibly restrain Him turns into ruin for the aggressor himself.