Shloka 18
Kṛṣṇasya Karṇam Prati Sāntvavacana
Kṛṣṇa’s Conciliatory Address to Karṇa
द्रौपदी यस्य चाशास्ते विजयं सत्यवादिनी । तपोघोरब्रता देवी कथं जेष्यसि पाण्डवम्,तपस्या एवं घोर व्रतका पालन करनेवाली सत्यवादिनी देवी द्रौपदी जिनकी विजयकी कामना करती है, उन पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिरको तुम कैसे जीत सकोगे?
draūpadī yasya cāśāste vijayaṁ satyavādinī | tapoghoravratā devī kathaṁ jeṣyasi pāṇḍavam ||
Bhīṣma said: “How will you ever defeat that son of Pāṇḍu—Yudhiṣṭhira—whose victory is invoked by Draupadī, the truth-speaking goddess, steadfast in severe austerities and formidable vows?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Victory is not merely a matter of force; it is supported by dharma—truthfulness, austerity, and the moral power of righteous allies. Bhishma implies that Yudhishthira’s ethical standing and Draupadi’s merit-backed invocation make him difficult to overcome.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war counsel, Bhishma warns the opposing side that defeating Yudhishthira is unlikely because Draupadi—portrayed as truth-speaking and devoted to severe vows—actively wishes and prays for his victory.