Shloka 19
Kṛṣṇasya Karṇam Prati Sāntvavacana
Kṛṣṇa’s Conciliatory Address to Karṇa
मन्त्री जनार्दनो यस्य भ्राता यस्य धनंजय: । सर्वशस्त्रभृतां श्रेष्ठ; कथं जेष्पसि पाण्डवम्,भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण जिनके मन्त्री और समस्त शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ अर्जुन जिनके भाई हैं, उन पाण्दुपुत्र युधिष्ठिरको तुम कैसे जीतोगे?
mantrī janārdano yasya bhrātā yasya dhanañjayaḥ | sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ kathaṃ jeṣyasi pāṇḍavam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Comment pourrais-tu vaincre le fils de Pāṇḍu (Yudhiṣṭhira), dont le conseiller est Bhagavān Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa), et dont le frère est Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), le meilleur de tous ceux qui portent les armes ?»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma emphasizes that power is not only numerical or political: righteous counsel (Kṛṣṇa as minister) and unsurpassed capability (Arjuna as the foremost warrior) make the Pāṇḍava cause extraordinarily difficult to overcome. The verse underscores ethical-strategic discernment—recognizing when a war is unjust or unwinnable against dharma-supported strength.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma addresses the Kaurava side, cautioning them about the futility of trying to defeat Yudhiṣṭhira’s party. He points to Kṛṣṇa’s guidance and Arjuna’s martial supremacy as decisive advantages for the Pāṇḍavas.