Shloka 12
Amba’s Disclosure of Prior Choice (Śālva) and Appeal to Bhīṣma — Chapter 171
वासुदेवं च पार्थ च चक्रगाण्डीवधारिणौ । संध्यागताविवार्केन्दू समेष्येते रथोत्तमौ
vāsudevaṃ ca pārthaṃ ca cakragāṇḍīvadhāriṇau | saṃdhyāgatāv ivārkendū sameṣyete rathottamau ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Vāsudeva und Pārtha — beide die Höchsten unter den Wagenkämpfern — tragen den Diskus und den Bogen Gāṇḍīva. Wenn jene beiden gemeinsam zur Schlacht herankommen, wie Sonne und Mond, die in der Dämmerung erscheinen, dann werde ich mich ihnen entgegenstellen.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya resolve and dharma-bound courage: even when confronted by the most formidable, divinely aided opponents, Bhīṣma affirms his duty to stand and face them. It also underscores the extraordinary power that arises when divine guidance (Kṛṣṇa) and human skill (Arjuna) unite.
Bhīṣma describes Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna as the foremost chariot-warriors, marked by their signature weapons (discus and Gāṇḍīva). Using the image of sun and moon meeting at twilight, he anticipates their joint arrival on the battlefield and declares his intention to confront them.