Shloka 53
भीष्मस्य सेनापत्यप्रतिज्ञा तथा रथसंख्यावर्णनम् | Bhishma Accepts Command and Enumerates Kaurava Strength
नकुलस्य विराटस्य द्रुपदस्य च भारत । सहदेवस्य च वचो धृष्टद्युम्मशिखण्डिनो: । केशवार्जुनयोर्वाक्यं यथोक्तं सर्वमब्रवीत्
sañjaya uvāca |
nakulasya virāṭasya drupadasya ca bhārata |
sahadevasya ca vaco dhṛṣṭadyumnaśikhaṇḍinoḥ |
keśavārjunayor vākyaṃ yathoktaṃ sarvam abravīt |
সঞ্জয় বললেন—হে ভারত! তিনি নকুল ও সহদেব, বিরাট ও দ্রুপদ, ধৃষ্টদ্যুম্ন ও শিখণ্ডী, এবং কেশব (শ্রীকৃষ্ণ) ও অর্জুনের কথাও যেমন বলা হয়েছিল তেমনই—একটুও বাদ না দিয়ে, একটুও বদলে না দিয়ে—সব পুনরুক্তি করলেন।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights fidelity to truth in transmission: a messenger or narrator should convey others’ words exactly (yathoktam), without distortion—an ethical duty especially crucial in diplomacy and conflict.
Sañjaya describes how the speaker (in context, a reporter/messenger) recounted verbatim the statements made by key Pāṇḍava allies and leaders—Nakula, Sahadeva, Virāṭa, Drupada, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Śikhaṇḍin—as well as Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna.