Shloka 17
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)
न हि देवेषु सर्वेषु नासुरेषूरगेषु च
na hi deveṣu sarveṣu nāsureṣv urageṣu ca | na rākṣaseṣu yakṣeṣu vā arjuna-samaḥ kvacit || manuṣyeṣu kutaḥ syād vā bhūtaṃ bhaviṣyaṃ ca me śrutam | na tathā rathināṃ kaścid iti bhīṣma uvāca ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Di antara semua dewa, tidak pula di antara para asura, maupun bangsa ular, juga di antara rākṣasa dan yakṣa, tak seorang pun setara dengan Arjuna. Maka bagaimana mungkin ada tandingannya di kalangan manusia? Baik di masa lampau maupun masa depan, tak pernah kudengar ada kesatria-kereta seperti dia.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ideal of unsurpassed martial excellence joined to reputation validated by elders: true greatness is recognized across realms and across time, and such recognition carries ethical weight in judging strength, duty, and the likely outcome of conflict.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhishma speaks to emphasize Arjuna’s incomparable prowess as a chariot-warrior, arguing that no being—divine, demonic, or human—matches him, thereby shaping the strategic and moral assessment of the coming war.