Shloka 7
भीष्मधृतराष्ट्रसंवादः — पाण्डवबलप्रशंसा
Bhishma–Dhritarashtra Dialogue: Appraisal of Pandava Strength
दोषस्त्वस्य महानेको येनैव भरतर्षभ | न मे रथो नातिरथो मतः पार्थिवसत्तम,किंतु भरतश्रेष्ठ! नृपशिरोमणे! इसमें एक ही बहुत बड़ा दोष है, जिससे मैं इसे न तो अतिरथी मानता हूँ और न रथी ही
doṣas tv asya mahān eko yenaiva bharatarṣabha | na me ratho nātiratho mataḥ pārthivasattama || kintu bharataśreṣṭha! nṛpaśiromaṇe! asmin eka eva mahān doṣaḥ, yena aham enaṁ na atirathaṁ manye na rathaṁ ca ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „O Stier unter den Bharatas, es gibt in ihm einen einzigen großen Makel; deshalb, o bester der Könige, halte ich ihn weder für einen ratha noch für einen atiratha. Dieser eine Fehler wiegt so schwer, dass er seinen Rang als wahrer Wagenchampion schmälert.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights that a single serious defect can outweigh many strengths: true excellence—especially in a ruler or warrior—is not only about power or skill but also about the moral and practical integrity that sustains one’s rank and reputation.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma is assessing someone’s standing as a chariot-warrior. He states that one major flaw prevents him from recognizing that person as even a ratha, much less an atiratha, underscoring the gravity of the defect in the context of impending conflict.