Shloka 20
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)
गाण्डीवं च धर्नुर्दिव्यं ते चाश्वा वातरंहस: । अभेद्यं कवचं दिव्यमक्षय्यौ च महेषुधी
gāṇḍīvaṃ ca dhanuḥ divyaṃ te cāśvā vātarāṃhasaḥ | abhedyaṃ kavacaṃ divyam akṣayyau ca maheṣudhī ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Engkau memiliki busur ilahi Gāṇḍīva; kuda-kudamu secepat angin. Engkau pun memiliki zirah ilahi yang tak tertembus, serta dua tabung panah agung yang anak panahnya tak pernah habis.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that extraordinary strength—divine weapons, protection, and inexhaustible resources—should serve dharma. Such advantages do not merely empower; they heighten moral accountability in the coming conflict.
Bhīṣma is describing (and effectively commending) the formidable, divinely endowed war-gear associated with Arjuna: the Gāṇḍīva bow, wind-swift horses, impenetrable armor, and two inexhaustible quivers—setting the tone for the scale and seriousness of the impending war.