Shloka 35
भीष्मकृतः पाण्डवपक्ष-महारथ-प्रशंसा
Bhishma’s appraisal of Pandava-aligned chariot-warriors
समेतं पार्थिव क्षत्रं काशिराजस्वयंवरे । निर्जित्यैकरथेनैव या: कन्यास्तरसा हृता:
sametaṁ pārthiva kṣatraṁ kāśirāja-svayaṁvare | nirjityaika-rathenaiva yāḥ kanyās tarasā hṛtāḥ ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Beim svayaṃvara des Königs von Kāśī hatten sich die kriegerischen Könige der ganzen Erde versammelt. Doch auf nur einem einzigen Wagen bezwang ich sie alle und führte mit Gewalt und raschem Zugriff die Prinzessinnen von Kāśī fort.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a tension in dharma: kṣatriya prowess and socially recognized martial norms (such as forceful taking in certain contexts) can conflict with personal autonomy and later moral consequences. Bhīṣma frames his act as a feat of valor and legitimacy in a royal contest, inviting reflection on how power-based customs are ethically evaluated.
Bhīṣma recalls the Kāśī svayaṃvara where many kings had assembled. He says he defeated them single-handedly from one chariot and forcibly carried away the Kāśī princesses—an event that leads into the well-known chain of consequences involving the Kāśī princesses (notably Amba) and Bhīṣma’s later trials.