Shloka 14
Adhyāya 69: Strategic duels under Bhīṣma’s command
Virāṭa–Bhīṣma; Arjuna–Aśvatthāmā; Bhīma–Duryodhana; Abhimanyu–Lakṣmaṇa
तथा मनुष्यो5यमिति कदाचित् सुरसत्तमा: । नावज्ञेयो महावीर्य: शड्खचक्रगदाधर:,'सुरश्रेष्टण! शंख, चक्र और गदा धारण करनेवाले उन महापराक्रमी भगवान् वासुदेवका “ये मनुष्य हैं' ऐसा समझकर अनादर नहीं करना चाहिये
tathā manuṣyo ’yam iti kadācit surasattamāḥ | nāvajñeyo mahāvīryaḥ śaṅkhacakragadādharaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “O best of the gods, never at any time should that mighty one—Vāsudeva, bearer of conch, discus, and mace—be slighted by thinking, ‘He is only a human.’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not judge by outward appearance or social category: one should never disrespect Vāsudeva by reducing him to ‘mere human,’ for true greatness (and divinity) may be veiled in human form; reverence and discernment are ethical duties.
In the Bhīṣma Parva war-context, Bhīṣma addresses exalted beings and emphasizes Kṛṣṇa/Vāsudeva’s supreme power and identity, warning against underestimating him as simply a man—especially significant amid strategic and moral decisions on the battlefield.