Shloka 3
भीष्म उवाच शुश्रूषुमनसूयं च ब्रह्म॒ण्यं सत्यवादिनम् । प्रतियोत्स्यामहे पार्थमतो दुःखतरं नु किम्,भीष्म बोले--अहो! जो गुरुजनोंकी सेवाके लिये उत्सुक, किसीके भी दोष न देखनेवाले, ब्राह्मणभक्त और सत्यवादी हैं, उन्हीं युधिष्ठिरसे हमें युद्ध करना पड़ेगा; इससे बढ़कर महान् दुःखकी बात और क्या होगी?
bhīṣma uvāca | śuśrūṣum anasūyaṃ ca brahmaṇyaṃ satyavādinam | pratiyotsyāmahe pārtham ato duḥkhataraṃ nu kim ||
Bhishma said: “We must take up arms against that son of Pritha—one who is eager to serve his elders, free from fault-finding, devoted to the Brahmins, and steadfast in truth. What sorrow could be greater than this?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when war becomes unavoidable, the truly dharmic person recognizes the moral cost: opposing a virtuous opponent is itself a profound sorrow. The verse highlights ethical sensitivity—truthfulness, humility, and service are virtues that make conflict tragic rather than triumphant.
In the Udyoga Parva, as the Kurukshetra war approaches, Bhishma reflects on the painful necessity of fighting the Pandavas. He laments that the one they must oppose—Yudhisthira, called ‘Partha’—is exemplary in service to elders, non-censoriousness, reverence for Brahmins, and truthfulness.