Shloka 796
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
अमड्ुल्यध्वजं दृष्टवा न युध्येयं कदाचन । राजेन्द्र! मेरे पहलेसे सोचे हुए इस संकल्पको सुनो, जिसकी ध्वजामें कोई अमंगलसूचक चिह्न हो, ऐसे पुरुषको देखकर मैं कभी उसके साथ युद्ध नहीं कर सकता
amaṅgulyadhvajaṃ dṛṣṭvā na yudhyeyaṃ kadācana | rājendra! me pūrvase soche hue isa saṅkalpako suno, jisakī dhvajāmeṃ koī amaṅgalasūcaka cihna ho, aise puruṣako dekhakara maiṃ kabhī usake sātha yuddha nahīṃ kara sakatā |
Bhishma said: “If I see a man whose banner bears an inauspicious sign, I will never fight him. O best of kings, hear this resolve I had formed beforehand: on seeing one whose standard carries a mark that foretells misfortune, I cannot engage him in battle.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames warfare within ethical restraint: even in battle, one’s conduct is governed by prior vows and by attention to signs that indicate harm or impropriety. The verse highlights self-limitation and conscientious decision-making rather than unbounded aggression.
Bhishma addresses a king (rājendra) and declares a pre-formed resolve: if he sees a warrior whose banner bears inauspicious marks, he will not engage that person in combat. It presents Bhishma’s personal rule for participation in battle.