Shloka 25
भीष्मसेनापत्याभिषेकः
Bhīṣma’s Appointment as Commander-in-Chief
नच तौ वक्ष्यतो5धर्ममिति मे नैछ्ठिकी मतिः । नापि युक्त च कौन्तेय निवर्तितुमयुध्यत:,“मेरा तो यह निश्चित मत है कि वे दोनों अधर्मकी बात नहीं कहेंगे। कुन्तीनन्दन! अब हमारे लिये युद्धसे निवृत्त हो जाना भी उचित नहीं है”
na ca tau vakṣyato ’dharmam iti me naiṣṭhikī matiḥ | nāpi yuktaṃ ca kaunteya nivartitum ayudhyataḥ ||
“Aku teguh yakin bahwa mereka berdua tidak akan mengucapkan sesuatu yang tidak benar (adharma). Dan, wahai putra Kuntī, tidaklah patut bagi kita untuk mundur dari perang ketika kita bahkan belum terjun bertempur.”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts two ethical points: confidence that trustworthy figures will not advocate adharma, and the impropriety of retreating from a justly undertaken conflict out of hesitation—especially before even entering the fight—highlighting steadiness in dharma and duty.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a speaker’s firm judgment: the two persons under discussion will not counsel unrighteousness, and therefore the Pāṇḍavas (addressed as Kaunteya) should not withdraw from the impending war merely from reluctance.