Shloka 9
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)
चरितव्रद्याचर्याश्व सर्वे तात तपस्विन: । ह्वीमन्त: पुरुषव्याप्रा व्याप्रा इव बलोत्कटा:
caritavrata-brahmacaryāś ca sarve tāta tapassvinaḥ | hrīmantaḥ puruṣavyāghrā vyāghrā iva balotkaṭāḥ ||
भीष्म ने कहा—तात! वे सभी आचरण में तपस्वी और व्रतों में अडिग हैं; उन्होंने ब्रह्मचर्य-धर्म का पालन किया है। लज्जा-युक्त, पुरुषों में व्याघ्र वे पाण्डव व्याघ्रों के समान उत्कट बल वाले हैं।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma links true power with dharmic self-restraint: the Pāṇḍavas’ formidable strength is grounded in disciplined conduct, vows, and brahmacarya, showing that ethical training and inner control are sources of legitimate might.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma describes the Pāṇḍavas to the Kuru side, emphasizing their ascetic discipline, modest restraint, and tiger-like prowess—an assessment meant to convey their seriousness and the danger of underestimating them.