provocation

ज्वलति चलितेन्धनो अग्निर्विप्रकृतः पन्नगःफणां कुरुते।।
प्रायः स्वं महिमानं क्षोभात्प्रतिपद्यतेहि जनः।।
abijnana saakunthalam of Kalidasa

jwalathi chalithendhano agnir viprakritha pannagah phanam kuruthey
prayah swam mahimanam kshobhat pratipadhyathey hi janah

ജ്വലതി ചലിതേന്ധനോ അഗ്നിഃ വിപ്രകൃഃപന്നഗഃഫണാംകുരുതേ
പ്രായഃ സ്വം മഹിമാനം ക്ഷോഭാത് പ്രതീപദ്യതേ ഹി ജനഃ
the fire flares up when the fuel is stoked up, the serpent spreads his wide hood in an attacking mood when provoked. So it appears that strong people exhibit their prowess only when they are forced into  a frenzy of anger.
(the scene is sakunthalam is quite interesting.  Dushyantha rejects sakunthala in a stupour caused by the curse of sage Durvasas and when he gets back his memory he lives like a tragic lovelorn person. He forget that  there is the kingdom to rule, the dharma to be protected. Meanwhile some demons are attacking Indra the lord of Gods and He requires Dushyantha in full valour to support him in the war.  So Indra sends his own charioteer Mathali to fetch the king. Mathali comes to the Palace invisible and attacks  kings great friend  the vidhooshaka with hard blows and other fearful acts. The king, who is normally inactive in his sorrow and love-pangs  suddenly gets provoked and prepares himself  to attack this unseen entity. At this juncture,  the divine charioteer appears in the open and explains the reason for his torturing of  the vidhooshaka)