Shloka 2
अध्याय १६९ — भीष्मस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रशंसा तथा शिखण्डिविषये नियमः
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava Forces and His Constraint Regarding Śikhaṇḍin
अभिमन्युर्महाबाहू रथयूथपयूथप: । सम: पार्थन समरे वासुदेवेन चारिहा
abhimanyur mahābāhu rathayūthapayūthapaḥ | samaḥ pārthena samare vāsudevena cārihā ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Abhimanyu, sang pahlawan berlengan perkasa, adalah pemimpin di antara para pemimpin skuadron kereta. Di medan laga ia setara dengan Pārtha (Arjuna) dan Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) dalam kegagahan, seorang penghancur musuh.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights the dharmic ideal of the kṣatriya: disciplined training, steadfast vows, and leadership expressed as measured valor. Excellence in war is framed not as mere aggression but as duty carried by a well-trained, self-controlled warrior.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma assesses key fighters. Here he praises Abhimanyu as an exceptional chariot-commander, declaring him comparable in battlefield prowess to Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa, thereby signaling the Pandava side’s formidable strength.