Shloka 24
भीष्मकृतः पाण्डवपक्ष-महारथ-प्रशंसा
Bhishma’s appraisal of Pandava-aligned chariot-warriors
क्व च युद्ध विमर्दो वा मन्त्रे सुव्याहृतानि च । क्व च भीष्मो गतवया मन्दात्मा कालचोदित:,“कहाँ युद्ध, मारकाट और गुप्त मन्त्रणामें अच्छी बातें बतानेका कार्य और कहाँ कालप्रेरित मन्दबुद्धि भीष्म, जिनकी आयु समाप्त हो चुकी है
kva ca yuddha-vimardo vā mantre suvyāhṛtāni ca | kva ca bhīṣmo gatavayā mandātmā kāla-coditaḥ ||
Di manakah urusan perang—benturan yang menghancurkan—dan di manakah tugas bertutur elok dalam musyawarah rahasia? Dan di manakah aku, Bhisma—umur telah lewat, tekad melemah—yang digiring oleh Waktu.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights the mismatch between the ideal demands of war and wise counsel—clarity, strength, and timely speech—and his own condition as an aged man compelled by Kāla. The verse underscores humility and the ethical awareness that even great elders can be constrained by circumstance and time.
In the tense lead-up to the Kurukṣetra war (Udyoga Parva), Bhīṣma speaks reflectively, contrasting the fierce arena of battle and the need for sound strategic counsel with his own aged, time-driven state, implying reluctance and a sense of tragic compulsion.