Shloka 18
Adhyāya 69: Strategic duels under Bhīṣma’s command
Virāṭa–Bhīṣma; Arjuna–Aśvatthāmā; Bhīma–Duryodhana; Abhimanyu–Lakṣmaṇa
तस्मात् सेन्द्रै: सुरै: सर्वैलोकैश्वामितविक्रम: । नावज्ञेयो वासुदेवो मानुषो5यमिति प्रभु:
tasmāt sendraiḥ suraiḥ sarvaiḥ lokaiś cāmitavikramaḥ | nāvajñeyo vāsudevo mānuṣo 'yam iti prabhuḥ ||
Therefore, O mighty one, Vāsudeva should never be treated with contempt as merely a human. All the worlds, together with the gods and Indra, know his immeasurable power; to slight him is to ignore the higher order that sustains dharma amid the coming war.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One must not judge Vāsudeva by outward appearance as merely human; true discernment recognizes his immeasurable power acknowledged even by the gods, and reverence toward such divine agency supports dharma.
Bhīṣma addresses a powerful listener (prabhuḥ) in the war context, warning that Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) is not to be slighted; he underscores that all worlds and the gods with Indra recognize Kṛṣṇa’s extraordinary might.