Shloka 5
Sandhi–Vigraha in Āpada: The Mouse and the Cat (सन्धिविग्रहापदि—मूषकमार्जारसंवादः)
सर्वकाननदेशकज्ञ: पारियात्रचर: सदा । धर्मज्ञ: सर्वभूतानाममोधेषुर्दूढायुध:
sarva-kānana-deśa-kajñaḥ pāriyātra-caraḥ sadā | dharmajñaḥ sarva-bhūtānām amodheṣur dūḍhāyudhaḥ ||
उसे वन-प्रदेशों का पूर्ण ज्ञान था। वह सदा पारियात्र पर्वतों में विचरता रहता और समस्त प्राणियों के धर्म-कर्तव्यों को जानता था। उसके बाण लक्ष्य-भेदन में अचूक थे और उसके अस्त्र-शस्त्र दृढ़ तथा विश्वसनीय थे।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises an ideal type of capable person—especially a warrior or protector—whose excellence is not only martial (unfailing aim, reliable weapons) but also ethical and ecological: he knows the terrain thoroughly and understands dharma as it applies to all beings. Competence is presented as inseparable from dharma-awareness and disciplined preparedness.
Bhishma is describing a particular figure’s qualities: deep knowledge of forest regions, constant movement in the Pāriyātra area, insight into the duties/natures of living beings, and exceptional martial reliability (arrows that do not miss, well-secured weapons). The description functions as character-portraiture within Bhishma’s broader instruction in the Shanti Parva.