क्षत्रं चान्ये5भ्यनिन्दन्त भीष्म चान्ये3भ्यपूजयन् । ऋषय: पितरश्रैव प्रशशंसुर्महाव्रतम्
kṣatraṃ cānye ’bhyanindanta bhīṣmaṃ cānye ’bhyapūjayan | ṛṣayaḥ pitarāś caiva praśaśaṃsur mahāvratam ||
Sebagian mencela dharma para ksatria, sementara yang lain memuliakan Bhisma. Para resi dan para leluhur pun memuji Bhisma, sang pemegang mahawrat, menyanjung keteguhan laku sumpahnya di tengah guncangan perang.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights how dharma is contested in times of conflict: public opinion may condemn or celebrate, but the testimony of sages and ancestors upholds the ethical weight of steadfast vows and disciplined conduct, embodied here by Bhīṣma.
Sañjaya reports mixed reactions around the events of the war: some denounce the kṣatriya path and its violence, while others revere Bhīṣma; meanwhile Ṛṣis and Pitṛs specifically praise Bhīṣma as a great vow-keeper.