Shloka 4
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)
तात! कुन्तीका आनन्द बढ़ानेवाले स्वयं पाण्डुपुत्र राजा युधिष्ठिर एक श्रेष्ठ रथी (महारथी) हैं। वे समरभूमिमें अग्निके समान सब ओर विचरेंगे, इसमें संशय नहीं है ।।
tāta! kuntīkā ānanda-baḍhānevale svayaṃ pāṇḍuputra rājā yudhiṣṭhira eka śreṣṭha-rathī (mahārathī) haiṃ. ve samarabhūmi meṃ agni ke samāna saba ora vicareṅge, ismeṃ saṃśaya nahīṃ hai. bhīmasenas tu rājendra ratho ’ṣṭaguṇa-sammitaḥ | na tasyāsti samo yuddhe gadayā sāyakair api ||
Bhīṣma said: “Dear child, Yudhiṣṭhira—the son of Pāṇḍu, the king who increases Kuntī’s joy—is himself an excellent chariot-warrior, a true mahāratha. On the battlefield he will range in every direction like fire; of this there is no doubt. And Bhīmasena, O best of kings, is a chariot-fighter endowed with eightfold prowess; in war he has no equal—whether with the mace, or even with arrows.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma underscores the rightful martial capacity of the Pāṇḍavas: Yudhiṣṭhira is not merely a moral king but also a competent mahāratha, and Bhīma’s unmatched power—especially with the mace—signals that dharma in a kṣatriya context includes the ability to protect and prevail when war becomes unavoidable.
In the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation context, Bhīṣma is describing and assessing the fighting strength of the Pāṇḍavas. He highlights Yudhiṣṭhira’s battlefield presence and Bhīma’s extraordinary prowess, emphasizing that their side possesses formidable warriors.