Shloka 14
Śikhaṇḍinī’s Disclosure, Drupada’s Counsel, and the Petition to Yakṣa Sthūṇākarṇa
Udyoga Parva 192
मुज्चेयं यदि वास्त्राणि महान्ति समरे स्थित: । शतसाहस््रघातीनि हन्यां मासेन भारत,भारत! यदि मैं युद्धमें स्थित होकर लाखों वीरोंका संहार करनेवाले अपने महान् अस्त्रोंका प्रयोग करने लगूँ तो एक मासमें पाण्डवोंकी सारी सेनाको नष्ट कर सकता हूँ
muñceyaṃ yadi vāstrāṇi mahānti samare sthitaḥ | śatasāhasraghātīni hanyāṃ māsenā bhārata ||
Bhīṣma said: “If, standing firm in battle, I were to unleash my great weapons—those that can slay hundreds of thousands—then, O Bhārata, within a single month I could destroy the entire Pāṇḍava host.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between capability and restraint: immense power in war exists, yet dharma demands reflection on when (and whether) to unleash it. Bhīṣma’s statement underscores that victory is not only a matter of strength but also of moral limits, vows, and the larger consequences of violence.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma speaks about his battlefield capacity. He tells the addressed ‘Bhārata’ that if he were to employ his mighty astras, he could annihilate the Pāṇḍava forces within a month—an assessment meant to inform strategic and political judgment on the brink of war.