Shloka 25
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)
न तृतीयो<स्ति राजेन्द्र सेनयोरुभयोरपि । य एन॑ शरवर्षाणि वर्षन्तमुदियाद् रथी
na tṛtīyo 'sti rājendra senayor ubhayor api | ya enaṁ śaravarṣāṇi varṣantam udiyād rathī | mayā athavā droṇācāryaḥ hī dhanañjayakā samānaṁ kartuṁ śaknoti | rājendra! ubhayasenayoḥ tṛtīyo na kaścid evaṁvidho rathī, yo bāṇavarṣaṁ kurvāṇam arjunaṁ prati gantum arhati ||
Bhishma dit : «Ô roi ! Dans l’une comme dans l’autre armée, il n’est pas de troisième guerrier. Seuls moi, ou Droṇa, pouvons réellement tenir tête à Dhanañjaya lorsqu’il s’avance en faisant pleuvoir les flèches. Ô seigneur des rois ! Hormis nous deux, nul combattant de char ne peut sortir à la rencontre d’Arjuna quand il déverse cette pluie de traits.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores a martial-ethical assessment: true capability must be acknowledged without envy or exaggeration. Bhīṣma frankly ranks warriors by merit, implying that dharma in counsel includes honest appraisal of strength and limits, even when it concerns an opponent.
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma addresses the king (Duryodhana) and evaluates the battlefield reality: when Arjuna advances in full force, only Bhīṣma or Droṇa can credibly confront him; no other chariot-warrior in either army can.