Shloka 34
Adhyāya 69: Strategic duels under Bhīṣma’s command
Virāṭa–Bhīṣma; Arjuna–Aśvatthāmā; Bhīma–Duryodhana; Abhimanyu–Lakṣmaṇa
यो धारयति लोकांस्त्रींश्वराचरगुरु: प्रभु: । योद्धा जयश्न जेता च सर्वप्रकृतिरी श्वर:
yo dhārayati lokāṁs trīn śvarācaraguruḥ prabhuḥ | yoddhā jayaś ca jetā ca sarvaprakṛtir īśvaraḥ ||
जो चराचर के गुरु और प्रभु हैं, वही तीनों लोकों को धारण करते हैं। वही योद्धा हैं, वही विजय हैं और वही विजेता। समस्त प्रकृतियों के कारणभूत परमेश्वर भी वही हैं।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that ultimate agency belongs to the Supreme Lord: he sustains the cosmos and is the hidden power behind struggle and success. Ethically, it urges humility and dharmic alignment—victory is not merely a product of force, but of the divine order that supports righteousness.
In Bhīṣma Parva, Bhīṣma speaks in praise of Śrī Hari, identifying him as the cosmic sustainer and the decisive factor in battle—warrior, victory, and victor—thereby framing the Kurukṣetra conflict within a larger theological and moral horizon.