Shloka 3
अध्याय १६९ — भीष्मस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रशंसा तथा शिखण्डिविषये नियमः
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava Forces and His Constraint Regarding Śikhaṇḍin
लब्धास्त्रश्चित्रयोधी च मनस्वी च दृढव्रत: । संस्मरन् वै परिकलेशं स्वपितुर्विक्रमिष्यति
labdhāstraś citrayodhī ca manasvī ca dṛḍhavrataḥ | saṃsmaran vai parikleśaṃ svapitur vikramiṣyati || mahābāhuḥ abhimanyuḥ ratha-yūthapatīnām api yūthapatiḥ | sa śatru-nāśako vīraḥ samarabhūmau arjuna-śrīkṛṣṇayor iva parākramī | sa astravidyāyāḥ vidhivat śikṣāṃ prāptaḥ | sa yuddhasya vicitrāḥ kalāḥ jānāti tathā dṛḍhatayā vratam pālayitā manasvī ca | sa pituḥ kleśaṃ smṛtvā avaśyaṃ parākramaṃ darśayiṣyati ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Abhimanyu yang berlengan perkasa telah terlatih sempurna dalam ilmu senjata; ia mahir dalam beragam seni perang, berjiwa teguh, dan setia pada kaulnya. Ketika ia mengingat penderitaan yang ditanggung ayahnya, ia pasti akan menampakkan keberaniannya. Ia adalah pemimpin di antara para pemimpin pasukan kereta, pahlawan pemusnah musuh; di medan laga ia segagah Arjuna dan Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Setelah menerima ajaran yang semestinya dalam śāstra persenjataan, ia memahami siasat-siasat halus peperangan; teguh dalam disiplin dan kuat kehendak, didorong oleh ingatan akan derita ayahnya, ia takkan gagal bertindak dengan gagah berani.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ideal of kṣatriya discipline: proper training, steadfast vows, and courageous action. It also shows how remembrance of a parent’s hardship can become a moral impetus for righteous exertion—valor grounded in duty and resolve rather than mere aggression.
In Bhīṣma’s assessment of the warriors, he praises Abhimanyu as a highly trained and inventive fighter, a commander among commanders. Bhīṣma predicts that Abhimanyu will fight with exceptional courage, especially when he recalls his father’s suffering, and compares his battlefield prowess to that of Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa.