Shloka 5
भीष्मधृतराष्ट्रसंवादः — पाण्डवबलप्रशंसा
Bhishma–Dhritarashtra Dialogue: Appraisal of Pandava Strength
नैष शक्यो मया वीर: संख्यातुं रथसत्तम: । निर्दहेदपि लोकांस्त्रीनिच्छन्नेष महारथ:,रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ इस वीर पुरुषके महत्त्वकी गणना नहीं की जा सकती। यह महारथी चाहे, तो तीनों लोकोंको दग्ध कर सकता है
naiṣa śakyo mayā vīraḥ saṅkhyātuṁ rathasattamaḥ | nirdahēd api lokāṁs trīn icchann eṣa mahārathaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ce héros, le plus éminent des guerriers de char, je ne puis ni le mesurer ni l’énumérer. En vérité, si ce grand combattant le voulait, il pourrait embraser jusqu’aux trois mondes : telle est l’ampleur de sa puissance.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of extraordinary power: true greatness is not merely in capacity to destroy, but in the restraint and discernment with which such power is held. Bhishma’s praise underscores awe, while implicitly reminding that might must be governed by dharma.
Bhishma is describing a particular warrior’s immeasurable prowess, calling him the best among chariot-fighters and stating hyperbolically that he could burn the three worlds if he wished—an emphatic assessment meant to convey unmatched martial capability in the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war evaluations.