Shloka 18
वैशम्पायन उवाच तमुवाच तदा भीष्मो द्रोणो विदुर एव च । क्षम्यतामिदमित्येवं सर्व सम्भाव्यते त्वयि,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्! तब भीष्म, द्रोण और विदुरने भीमसेनको शान्त करते हुए कहा--“भीम! क्षमा करो, तुम सब कुछ कर सकते हो”
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tam uvāca tadā bhīṣmo droṇo vidura eva ca | kṣamyatām idam ity evaṃ sarvaṃ sambhāvyate tvayi ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and Vidura spoke to him to calm him: “Bhīma, forgive this. Truly, through you all things are possible.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣamā (forbearance/forgiveness) as an ethical restraint: even when one has the power to act, elders counsel patience and measured conduct, valuing dharma over immediate retaliation.
In the midst of tension, Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and Vidura intervene to pacify Bhīmasena. They ask him to forgive the immediate offense and simultaneously acknowledge his strength—implying that true strength includes self-mastery.