Shloka 19
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Kaurava Champions (भीष्मकृतः रथिनां गुणनिरूपणम्)
भवानग्रे रथोदार: सह सर्व: सहोदरै: । दुःशासनप्रभृतिभिभर्श्नातृभि: शतसम्मितै:,सबसे पहले अपने दुःशासन आदि सौ सहोदर भाइयोंके साथ तुम्हीं बहुत बड़े उदार रथी हो
bhavān agre rathodāraḥ saha sarvaḥ saha-udaraiḥ | duḥśāsana-prabhṛtibhir bhrātṛbhiḥ śata-sammitaiḥ ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „An erster Stelle stehst du selbst: ein edler und hervorragender Wagenkrieger, zusammen mit all deinen Brüdern, deinen leiblichen Brüdern, an der Zahl hundert, beginnend mit Duḥśāsana.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma frames the addressee as the foremost chariot-warrior among his hundred brothers, underscoring leadership and accountability: eminence in power and rank implies greater responsibility for the course of events and the ethical burden of decisions leading to war.
In Udyoga Parva, as war becomes imminent, Bhīṣma addresses the Kaurava leader, identifying him as preeminent among his brothers—starting with Duḥśāsana—setting the stage for counsel about conduct, policy, and the consequences of choosing conflict.