Shloka 3
Bhīṣma’s Stuti of Keśava and Counsel on Nara–Nārāyaṇa (भीष्म-स्तवः; नरनारायण-प्रसङ्गः)
स तैर्महद्विश्न महारथैश्न तेजस्विभिरव्वीर्यवद्धिश्व राजन् रराज राजा स तु राजमुख्यै- वत:ः स देवैरिव वज्रपाणि:
sa tair mahadbhir mahārathaiś ca tejasvibhir ativīryavadbhiś ca rājan rārāja rājā sa tu rāja-mukhyair vṛtaḥ sa devair iva vajrapāṇiḥ | na atilakṣyatayā na vikrame na śaurye na parākrame | babhūva sadṛśaḥ kārṣṇenāstrī nāpi ca lāghave lakṣya-vedhane ||
Sañjaya dijo: Oh rey, rodeado por aquellos grandes mahārathas, radiantes y de valor extraordinario, el rey Duryodhana resplandecía—como Indra, portador del rayo, en medio de los dioses. Sin embargo, en precisión, en destreza, en heroísmo, en audacia, en dominio de las armas, en rapidez de mano y en dar en el blanco, ningún guerrero fue igual a Abhimanyu, hijo de la hermana de Kṛṣṇa.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage contrasts external grandeur—Duryodhana’s royal splendor amid powerful allies—with inner excellence: Abhimanyu’s unmatched precision, agility, and martial mastery. It suggests that true worth in crisis is measured by capability and courage, not by entourage or display.
Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra how Duryodhana appears magnificent, surrounded by eminent warriors, like Indra among the gods. He then emphasizes that despite the presence of many great fighters, none equals Abhimanyu in marksmanship, valor, and weapon-skill.