Shloka 16
The Thirteen Inner Adversaries (Trayodaśa Doṣāḥ): Origins and Pacification
मारुतो बलवान नित्यं यथा वै नारदो<ब्रवीत्,'जैसा कि नारदजीने कहा था, वायुदेव नित्य बलवान हैं। मैं तो दूसरे वृक्षोंसे भी दुर्बल हूँ, इसमें संशय नहीं है; परंतु बुद्धिमें कोई भी वृक्ष मेरे समान नहीं है
māruto balavān nityaṃ yathā vai nārado 'bravīt | ahaṃ tu dvitīyebhyo vṛkṣebhyo 'pi durbalaḥ, atra saṃśayo na vidyate | buddhau tu na kaścid vṛkṣo mama samaḥ ||
ભીષ્મે કહ્યું—“નારદે જેમ કહ્યું હતું તેમ વાયુદેવ સદા બળવાન છે. હું તો અન્ય વૃક્ષોથી પણ દુર્બળ છું—એમાં શંકા નથી; પરંતુ બુદ્ધિ અને વિવેકમાં મારી સમકક્ષ કોઈ વૃક્ષ નથી।”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts physical power with intellectual discernment: one may be weak in strength yet excel in buddhi. It also models humility—acknowledging limitations without denying genuine excellence.
In Bhishma’s instruction in the Shanti Parva, a speaking tree (or tree-voice within the didactic tale) acknowledges Vayu’s superior might as affirmed by Narada, while asserting its own unmatched intelligence among trees—setting up a moral comparison between force and wisdom.