क्रुद्धस्य भीमसेनस्य मम पुत्राञ् जिघांसतः ॥
दुर्योधनहिते युक्ताः समतिष्ठन्त के ऽग्रतः ॥
भीमसेनदवाग्नेस् तु मम पुत्रतृणोलपम् ॥
प्रधक्ष्यतो रणमुखे के वीराः प्रमुखे स्थिताः ॥
काल्यमानान् हि मे पुत्रान् भीमेनावेक्ष्य संयुगे ॥
कालेनेव प्रजाः सर्वाः के भीमं पर्यवारयन् ॥
भीमवह्नेः प्रदीप्तस्य मम पुत्रान् दिधक्षतः ॥
के शूराः पर्यवर्तन्त तन् ममाचक्ष्व संजय ॥
kruddhasya bhīmasenasya mama putrāñ jighāṃsataḥ ||
duryodhanahite yuktāḥ samatiṣṭhanta ke 'grataḥ ||
bhīmasenadavāgnes tu mama putratṛṇolapam ||
pradhakṣyato raṇamukhe ke vīrāḥ pramukhe sthitāḥ ||
kālyamānān hi me putrān bhīmenāvekṣya saṃyuge ||
kāleneva prajāḥ sarvāḥ ke bhīmaṃ paryavārayan ||
bhīmavahneḥ pradīptasya mama putrān didhakṣataḥ ||
ke śūrāḥ paryavartanta tan mamācakṣva saṃjaya ||
"Before enraged Bhimasena, wishing to kill my sons, what heroes devoted to Duryodhana's good stood forth? Before the forest-fire that is Bhimasena, ready to burn my sons — grass and straw — in the face of battle, what heroes stood before him? For seeing my sons driven by Bhima in battle as Time drives all creatures, what heroes surrounded Bhima?"
5a6a8b95bd50 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:17:33 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhritarashtra calls his sons 'tṛṇolapam', grass and straw before 'davāgni', the forest fire of Bhima: the father himself foresees their doom. It is telling that love for his sons does not blind him to their fate. The verse teaches that even one who loves can foresee the ruin of those dear to him once they have taken the side of untruth: the image of straw before fire is the father's bitter admission that the sons he cherished are doomed, for they stood against righteousness.