Shloka 18

भीष्मधृतराष्ट्रसंवादः — पाण्डवबलप्रशंसा

Bhishma–Dhritarashtra Dialogue: Appraisal of Pandava Strength

Devanagari script

हन्यादेकरथेनैव देवगन्धर्वमानुषान्‌ । एकीभूतानपि रणे दिव्यैरस्त्रै: प्रतापवान्‌

Transliteration

hanyād ekarathenaiva devagandharvamānuṣān | ekībhūtān api raṇe divyair astraiḥ pratāpavān ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Mit nur einem einzigen Wagen könnte jener mächtige Krieger Götter, Gandharvas und Menschen erschlagen — selbst wenn sie auf dem Schlachtfeld vereint stünden — durch seine göttlichen Waffen.“

Word by Word

• हन्यात्: would/should slay
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Optative (potential), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एक: with one
• एक: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• रथेन: chariot
• रथेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• देव: gods
• देव: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• गन्धर्व: gandharvas
• गन्धर्व: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मानुषान्: men/humans
• मानुषान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• एकीभूतान्: united into one/massed together
• एकीभूतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकीभूत (कृदन्त; भू धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दिव्यैः: with divine
• दिव्यैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अस्त्रैः: weapons/missiles
• अस्त्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• प्रतापवान्: the mighty/valorous one
• प्रतापवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Devas
• Gandharvas
• Humans (mānuṣa)
• Divine weapons (divya-astra)
• Chariot (ratha)
• Battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes extraordinary martial capability as a form of deterrent power: a single exceptionally potent warrior, equipped with divine astras, can outweigh even a numerically united opposition. Ethically, it highlights how prowess and weapon-knowledge can shift the balance of dharma-yuddha considerations by making conflict catastrophically one-sided.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is praising or describing a warrior’s overwhelming strength, stating that he could, from a single chariot, defeat even combined forces of gods, Gandharvas, and humans in battle through the use of divine weapons—underscoring the stakes and intensity surrounding the impending war.