Shloka 13
अत्रिणा त्वथ सामर्थ्य कृतमुत्तमतेजसा । द्विजेनाग्निद्धितीयेन जपता चर्मवाससा
atriṇā tv atha sāmarthyaṁ kṛtam uttama-tejasā | dvijena agni-dvitīyena japatā carma-vāsasā ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ຈົ່ງພິຈາລະນາພະລັງອັນພິເສດທີ່ຖືກສະແດງໃນນີ້ໂດຍລະສີອະຕຣິ—ຜູ້ສ່ອງສະຫວ່າງດ້ວຍເຕຊະທາງວິນຍານອັນສູງສຸດ—ໂດຍດວິຊະ (ຜູ້ເກີດສອງຄັ້ງ) ຜູ້ມີໄຟສັກສິດເປັນສະຫາຍຄູ່ກາຍ, ດຳລົງຊີວິດໃນຄວາມເຂັ້ມງວດ, ສວມໜັງກວາງ ແລະສະດຸດມົນຕຣາ. ຈົ່ງເບິ່ງຄວາມຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ແຫ່ງກິດຈະກຳຂອງທ່ານ. ຂ້າໄດ້ບັນຍາຍກິດຈະກຳຂອງອະຕຣິຜູ້ປະເສີດນັ້ນໄວ້ຢ່າງລະອຽດແລ້ວ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຂ້າກ່າວວ່າ ພຣາຫມະນະເປັນຜູ້ສູງສຸດ; ຈົ່ງບອກຂ້າ—ກະສັດຕຣິຍະຜູ້ໃດຈະສູງກວ່າອະຕຣິ?»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights that true superiority is grounded in tapas, ritual steadiness, and spiritual radiance (tejas). By pointing to Atri’s disciplined life—Agnihotra, japa, and ascetic simplicity—he argues that brahminical excellence is measured by inner power and dharmic practice rather than worldly force.
Bhīṣma is citing the example of the sage Atri’s remarkable accomplishment and asking his listener to recognize Atri’s greatness. He uses this as a rhetorical challenge: if one seeks a kṣatriya greater than Atri, who would it be—implying that Atri’s spiritual achievements surpass typical martial standards of greatness.