Shloka 11
Amba’s Disclosure of Prior Choice (Śālva) and Appeal to Bhīṣma — Chapter 171
नरेश्वर! देवराज इन्द्रके समान तेजस्वी किरीटधारी वीरवर अर्जुनके द्वारा सुरक्षित हुई युधिष्ठिरकी भयंकर सेनाका ये उपर्युक्त वीर समरांगणमें संचालन करेंगे ।।
nareśvara! devarāja indrake samāna tejasvī kirīṭadhārī vīravara arjunena surakṣitā yudhiṣṭhirasya bhayaṅkarā senāyā ete uparyuktā vīrāḥ samarāṅgaṇe sañcālanaṃ kariṣyanti || tair ahaṃ samare vīrā māyāviddhir jayaiṣibhiḥ | yotsyāmi jayam ākāṅkṣann athavā nidhanaṃ raṇe ||
Bhishma said: “O king! Those heroes mentioned above will marshal and direct Yudhishthira’s formidable army on the battlefield—an army protected by the foremost warrior Arjuna, the diadem-wearing hero whose splendor rivals Indra, king of the gods. And I, for my part, will fight in this war against those Pandava champions—masters of stratagem and hungry for victory—seeking either triumph or death in battle.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a Kshatriya ideal of resolve: a warrior-leader commits to battle with full acceptance of outcomes—victory or death—while recognizing the opposing side’s strength and organization. It highlights duty-bound courage, disciplined leadership, and the ethical seriousness of war rather than mere aggression.
Bhishma addresses the king (Duryodhana) and describes how the Pandava side—especially Yudhishthira’s formidable army protected by Arjuna—will be directed by the named heroes. He then declares his own intention to fight those victory-seeking, strategy-skilled Pandava warriors, prepared either to win or to fall in battle.