Shloka 59
Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)
अप्रमेयाणि दुर्धर्षे कथं स निहतो युधि । जिन पुरुषरत्न तथा दुर्धर्ष वीरशिरोमणिमें अस्त्र, बुद्धि और नीति तीन अप्रमेय शक्तियाँ थीं, वे युद्धमें कैसे मारे गये? ।। ५८ है ।। न चास्त्रेण न शौर्येण तपसा मेधया न च
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | aprameyāṇi durdharṣe kathaṁ sa nihato yudhi | na cāstreṇa na śauryeṇa tapasā medhayā na ca ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Wahai yang tak tertandingi! Bagaimana mungkin ia terbunuh di medan perang, padahal kekuatannya tak terukur? Bukan oleh senjata, bukan oleh keberanian, bukan oleh tapa, dan bukan pula oleh kecerdasan—oleh semua itu ia tak mungkin ditaklukkan.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even extraordinary prowess—weapon-skill, bravery, austerity, and intellect—does not guarantee invincibility; in the Mahābhārata’s ethical world, downfall can come through circumstance, strategy, and the complex workings of dharma and destiny rather than sheer personal power.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing of a great warrior’s death, expresses disbelief and questions how someone reputed to possess immeasurable strengths could be killed in battle, emphasizing that neither arms, valor, ascetic force, nor intelligence seemed sufficient to defeat him.