Shloka 69
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
मम सैन्यस्य च क्षेमं तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह । “पितामह! हमलोग युद्धमें जिस प्रकार आपको जीत सकें, जिस प्रकार हमें विपुल राज्यकी प्राप्ति हो सके और जिस प्रकार मेरी सेना भी सकुशल रह सके, वह उपाय मुझे बताइये' ।। ६८ ह ।। ततोअब्रवीच्छान्तनव: पाण्डवान् पाण्डुपूर्वज:,तब पाण्डुके पितृतुल्य शान्तनुकुमार भीष्मजीने पाण्डवोंसे इस प्रकार कहा --'कुन्तीकुमार! मेरे जीते-जी युद्धमें किसी प्रकार तुम्हारी विजय नहीं हो सकती। सर्वज्ञ! मैं तुमसे यह सच्ची बात कहता हूँ
mama sainyasya ca kṣemaṃ tan me brūhi pitāmaha |
Sañjaya said: “Tell me, O Grandsire, of the safety and well-being of my army.” In the surrounding narrative, the king’s anxiety is not only for victory but also for the preservation of his forces—revealing the ethical tension of seeking triumph in war while fearing the ruin that war inevitably brings.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a righteous-war framework, a ruler’s duty includes concern for the protection and welfare of his people and soldiers; the verse highlights the moral burden of command—seeking success while fearing the human cost.
Sañjaya reports the king’s query to the Grandsire (Bhīṣma): he asks how his army may remain safe. It frames the ensuing counsel and underscores the precariousness of the Kurukṣetra conflict.