Shloka 18
“महाबाहो! अब तो मैं बूढ़ा हो गया, मेरी प्राणशक्ति और चेष्टा कम हो गयी, तो भी अपने अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंकी अग्निसे पाण्डवोंकी विशाल वाहिनीको भस्म कर दूँगा ।। यथा भीष्म: शान्तनवो मासेनेति मतिर्मम । एषा मे परमा शक्तिरेतन्मे परमं बलम्,“जैसे शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्म एक मासमें पाण्डव-सेनाका विनाश कर सकते हैं, उसी प्रकार और उतने ही समयमें मैं भी कर सकता हूँ, ऐसा मेरा विश्वास है। यही मेरी सबसे बड़ी शक्ति है और यही मेरा अधिक-से-अधिक बल है'
sañjaya uvāca | mahābāho! adhunāhaṁ vṛddho 'smi, mama prāṇaśaktiś ca ceṣṭā ca hīnā bhūtā; tathāpi svāstrāgninā pāṇḍavānāṁ viśālāṁ vāhinīṁ bhasmīkariṣyāmi || yathā bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavo māseneti matir mama | eṣā me paramā śaktir etan me paramaṁ balam ||
“O mighty-armed one, I have now grown old; my vital force and my capacity for exertion have diminished. Yet even so, with the fire of my own weapons I shall reduce the vast host of the Pāṇḍavas to ashes. I am convinced that, just as Bhīṣma, the son of Śāntanu, could destroy the Pāṇḍava army within a month, so too can I—within the same span of time. This is my highest power; this is the utmost of my strength.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the tension between physical decline and unwavering martial resolve: even as age reduces stamina, pride in skill and confidence in one’s role as a warrior can drive extreme vows. Ethically, it foregrounds how self-assurance and comparison with revered figures (like Bhishma) can intensify commitment to violence, inviting reflection on responsibility and the costs of war.
Sanjaya reports a warrior’s declaration of intent: despite being old and weakened, he claims he will burn the Pandavas’ vast army with his weapons, asserting he can accomplish in a month what Bhishma is believed capable of doing. The statement functions as a morale-boosting boast and a strategic claim about the coming conflict.