Shloka 17
Udyoga Parva 21 — Bhīṣma’s Conciliatory Counsel, Karṇa’s Rebuttal, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra Sends Sañjaya (भीष्म-कर्ण-विवादः; संजय-प्रेषणम्)
बहुशो जीयमानस्य कर्म दृष्टं तदैव ते । न चेदेवं करिष्यामो यदयं ब्राह्मणो5ब्रवीत् । ध्रुवं युधि हतास्तेन भक्षयिष्याम पांसुकान्,तेरा पराक्रम तो उसी समय देखा गया था, जब कि अनेक बार उनके सामने जाकर तुझे परास्त होना पड़ा। इन ब्राह्मणदेवताने जो कुछ कहा है, यदि हमलोग तदनुसार कार्य नहीं करेंगे तो यह निश्चय है कि युद्धमें पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनके हाथसे आहत होकर हमें धूल खानी पड़ेगी
bahuśo jīyamānasya karma dṛṣṭaṃ tadaiva te | na ced evaṃ kariṣyāmo yad ayaṃ brāhmaṇo 'bravīt | dhruvaṃ yudhi hatās tena bhakṣayiṣyāma pāṃsukān ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Tu valor ya se vio entonces: cuando, una y otra vez, fuiste vencido ante su presencia y te viste obligado a retirarte. Si no actuamos conforme a lo que ha declarado este brahmán, es seguro que, abatidos por él en la guerra, nos harán morder el polvo».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma urges prudent adherence to wise counsel: ignoring a brahman’s warning and past evidence of an opponent’s superiority leads to predictable ruin. The ethical thrust is humility before truth and responsibility to act on sound advice rather than pride.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma reminds the Kaurava side that they have already witnessed the opponent’s (Arjuna’s) proven strength and warns that if they disregard the brahman’s instruction, they will certainly be defeated and humiliated in battle.