Shloka 8
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)
सिंहसंहनना: सर्वे पाण्डुपुत्रा महाबला:
bhīṣma uvāca | siṃhasaṃhananāḥ sarve pāṇḍuputrā mahābalāḥ | te sarve brahmacaryavrataṃ samyag anuṣṭhitavantaḥ | siṃhavat puruṣarṣabhāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ tapasvinaḥ lajjāśīlāś ca vyāghravat tīvra-balāḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “All the sons of Pāṇḍu are lion-built and exceedingly strong. Each of them has faithfully observed the vow of brahmacarya. Like lions among men, the Pāṇḍavas are ascetic in discipline, modest in conduct, and—like tigers—possessed of fierce, concentrated power.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Strength is presented as ethically grounded: Bhīṣma links the Pāṇḍavas’ formidable power to brahmacarya (self-restraint), tapas (discipline), and lajja (moral modesty). The verse implies that true kṣatriya might is most admirable when governed by restraint and propriety.
In Udyoga Parva, as war becomes imminent, Bhīṣma describes the Pāṇḍavas’ qualities to the Kuru side, emphasizing their physical prowess and disciplined character—an assessment that underscores how formidable and principled the opponents are.