Shloka 122
कर्णेन युधिष्ठिरानीकविदारणम् / Karṇa’s Breach of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Battle-Line
त्वं हि कृष्णाच्च कर्णाच्च फाल्गुनाच्च विशेषत: । विशिष्टो राजशार्दूल नास्ति तत्र विचारणा,नृपश्रेष्ठ) आप श्रीकृष्णसे, कर्णसे और अर्जुनसे भी श्रेष्ठ हैं, इसमें कोई अन्यथा विचार करनेकी आवश्यकता नहीं है
tvaṃ hi kṛṣṇāc ca karṇāc ca phālgunāc ca viśeṣataḥ | viśiṣṭo rājaśārdūla nāsti tatra vicāraṇā ||
Wahai harimau di antara para raja, engkau sungguh lebih unggul—bahkan daripada Kṛṣṇa, daripada Karṇa, dan terlebih lagi daripada Phālguna (Arjuna). Dalam hal ini tak ada ruang bagi keraguan atau pertimbangan lain.
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the rhetorical force of an elder’s authoritative judgment in war-counsel: decisive confidence is presented as necessary for leadership, and the addressed king is urged to accept a clear assessment without wavering in doubt.
Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha) speaks to a king on the battlefield context of the Karṇa Parva, offering emphatic praise by ranking him above even famed figures—Kṛṣṇa, Karṇa, and Arjuna—thereby strengthening resolve and asserting an unquestionable evaluation.