Shloka 3
Adhyāya 108 — Nimitta-darśana and Drona’s counsel amid Arjuna’s advance (निमित्तदर्शनं द्रोणोपदेशश्च)
तस्य कार्य त्वया वीर रक्षणं सुमहात्मन:,“वीर! तुम्हें उन महात्मा भीष्मकी रक्षा करनी चाहिये। युद्धमें सुरक्षित रहनेपर हमारे पितामह भीष्म समरांगणमें विजयके लिये प्रयत्न करनेवाले पाण्डवोंसहित पांचालोंका संहार कर डालेंगे
tasya kāryaṁ tvayā vīra rakṣaṇaṁ sumahātmanaḥ |
Sañjaya dijo: «Oh héroe, es tu deber proteger a Bhīṣma, ese magnánimo. Si nuestro abuelo Bhīṣma permanece a salvo en la batalla, se esforzará por la victoria en el campo y provocará la destrucción de los Pāṇḍava junto con los Pāñcāla.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames protection of a key elder-warrior as a warrior’s obligation (kārya), showing how dharma in a royal-war context can be expressed as loyalty to one’s side and strategic safeguarding of a decisive leader—while also hinting at the grave ethical weight of seeking victory through large-scale destruction.
Sañjaya reports counsel urging a warrior to ensure Bhīṣma’s safety. The reasoning is tactical: if Bhīṣma is kept secure on the battlefield, he will press for victory and is expected to devastate the opposing forces, specifically the Pāṇḍavas and their Pāñcāla allies.