Shloka 43
भीष्म-पर्व अध्याय १०० — त्रिगर्त-आक्रमण, भीष्म-केन्द्रित पुनर्संयोजन, तथा शक्त्यस्त्र-विनिमय
स एवमुक्त्वा नृपति: पुत्रो दुर्योधनस्तव । नोवाच वचन किज्चिद् भीष्म सत्यपराक्रमम्,सत्यपराक्रमी भीष्मसे ऐसा कहकर आपका पुत्र राजा दुर्योधन और कुछ नहीं बोला
sa evam uktvā nṛpatiḥ putro duryodhanas tava | novāca vacanaṃ kiñcid bhīṣmaṃ satyaparākramam ||
Having spoken thus, your son King Duryodhana said nothing further to Bhīṣma—Bhīṣma whose prowess is grounded in truth. The moment underscores Duryodhana’s tense restraint before an elder whose moral authority and steadfastness cannot be easily challenged, even amid the pressures of impending war.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a war-driven context, moral authority rooted in truth (satya) commands a kind of silence and restraint; power alone cannot easily override dharmic stature and the weight of an elder’s integrity.
After speaking, Duryodhana—addressed as ‘your son’—does not continue the conversation; he falls silent before Bhishma, described as ‘satyaparākrama,’ indicating Bhishma’s unwavering, truth-grounded valor and authority.