Shloka 91
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
“माधव! कुरुकुलके वृद्ध गुरुजन विशुद्ध-बुद्धि, मतिमान् पितामह भीष्मसे मैं रणक्षेत्रमें कैसे युद्ध करूँगा
Mādhava! Kurukulake vṛddha gurujana viśuddha-buddhi, matimān pitāmaha Bhīṣma se maiṁ raṇakṣetre meṁ kaise yuddha karūṁgā?
Arjuna said: “O Mādhava! How can I fight on the battlefield against Bhīṣma—our aged grandsire of the Kuru line, a revered elder and teacher, pure in judgment and wise?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical tension between kṣatriya-duty in war and the obligation to honor elders and teachers. It highlights how dharma can appear conflicted when righteous action (fighting for a cause) requires violence against revered figures, demanding discernment rather than impulsive action.
In the war setting of Bhīṣma Parva, the speaker voices hesitation about engaging Bhīṣma in combat. Addressing Kṛṣṇa as Mādhava, he frames Bhīṣma as the Kuru grandsire—wise, pure-minded, and a गुरु-figure—making the prospect of fighting him emotionally and morally fraught.