Shloka 3
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Kaurava Champions (भीष्मकृतः रथिनां गुणनिरूपणम्)
स चापरिमितप्रज्ञस्तच्छुत्वा पार्थभाषितम् । किमुक्तवान् महेष्वासो भीष्म: प्रहरतां वर:,अर्जुनकी उस प्रतिज्ञाको सुनकर अमित बुद्धिमान् योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ महाधनुर्धर भीष्मने क्या कहा?
sa cāparimitaprajñas tac chrutvā pārthabhāṣitam | kim uktavān maheṣvāso bhīṣmaḥ praharatāṁ varaḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “After hearing what Pārtha (Arjuna) had declared, what did the great bowman Bhīṣma—of immeasurable wisdom and foremost among warriors in striking—say?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of spoken resolve (a warrior’s declaration or vow) and the importance of wise elders responding thoughtfully; it frames Bhīṣma’s forthcoming words as authoritative guidance in a moment where dharma and warfare intersect.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya (implicitly, as narrator) what Bhīṣma said after hearing Arjuna’s statement/pledge. The question sets up Bhīṣma’s reaction and counsel in the escalating pre-war deliberations of the Udyoga Parva.