Shloka 8
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)
सिंहसंहनना: सर्वे पाण्डुपुत्रा महाबला:
bhīṣma uvāca | siṃhasaṃhananāḥ sarve pāṇḍuputrā mahābalāḥ | te sarve brahmacaryavrataṃ samyag anuṣṭhitavantaḥ | siṃhavat puruṣarṣabhāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ tapasvinaḥ lajjāśīlāś ca vyāghravat tīvra-balāḥ ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Todos los hijos de Pāṇḍu están hechos como leones y son de fuerza extraordinaria. Cada uno ha observado fielmente el voto de brahmacarya. Como leones entre los hombres, los Pāṇḍavas son ascéticos en disciplina, modestos en su porte y—como tigres—poseen un poder feroz y concentrado.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Strength is presented as ethically grounded: Bhīṣma links the Pāṇḍavas’ formidable power to brahmacarya (self-restraint), tapas (discipline), and lajja (moral modesty). The verse implies that true kṣatriya might is most admirable when governed by restraint and propriety.
In Udyoga Parva, as war becomes imminent, Bhīṣma describes the Pāṇḍavas’ qualities to the Kuru side, emphasizing their physical prowess and disciplined character—an assessment that underscores how formidable and principled the opponents are.