Shloka 67

Devanagari script

पराक्रम: परं शक्‍्त्या तत्‌ तु तस्मिन्‌ प्रतिष्ठितम्‌ । अथवा हम भी तो उन महारथी भीष्मको मरवाकर ही राज्य लेना चाहते हैं। क्षत्रियधर्ममें स्थित हुए मेरे बच्चे कुन्तीकुमारोंका कोई अपराध नहीं है। संजय! दुस्तर आपफत्तिके समय श्रेष्ठ पुरुषको यही करना चाहिये, जो भीष्मजीने किया है, कि वह शक्तिके अनुसार अधिक-से-अधिक पराक्रम करे। यह गुण भीष्मजीमें पूर्णरूपसे प्रतिष्ठित था || ६५-६६ ह || अनीकानि विनिष्नन्तं हीमनन्‍्तमपराजितम्‌,भीष्मजी किसीसे पराजित न होनेवाले और लज्जाशील थे। विपक्षी सेनाओंका संहार करते हुए उन मेरे ताऊ भीष्मजीको पाण्डवोंने कैसे रोका? उन महामनस्वी वीरोंने किस प्रकार सेनाएँ संगठित कीं और किस प्रकार युद्ध किया?

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | parākramaḥ paraṁ śaktyā tat tu tasmin pratiṣṭhitam | anīkāni viniṣṇantaṁ himanantam aparājitam |

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Valour reaches its highest measure according to one’s strength; and that excellence was firmly established in him. As he was crushing the battle-formations—unyielding, unwearied, and unconquered—how did the Pāṇḍavas check my elder Bhīṣma? How did those high-souled heroes marshal their forces, and in what manner did they fight?”

Word by Word

पराक्रमःvalor, prowess

परम्supreme, highest

शक्त्याby (one's) power/ability

तत्that (quality/thing)

तुbut, indeed

तस्मिन्in him/therein

प्रतिष्ठितम्established, firmly set

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Sañjaya

Bhīṣma

Pāṇḍavas

Kuntīkumāras (sons of Kuntī)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage frames martial excellence as the fullest exertion possible within one’s capacity (śakti). True kṣatriya conduct is to apply one’s strength to the utmost in a crisis, and Bhīṣma is presented as embodying that steadfast virtue.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing of the battle, asks Sañjaya how the Pāṇḍavas managed to restrain Bhīṣma—depicted as tireless and undefeated while destroying enemy formations—and seeks details of their troop organization and manner of fighting.