Shloka 20
Rukmī’s Offer of Aid and Arjuna’s Refusal (रुक्मिप्रस्तावः—अर्जुनप्रत्याख्यानम्)
अहं चैव क्षणेनैव निर्मनुष्यमिदं जगत् । कुर्या शस्त्रबलेनैव ससुरासुरराक्षसम्,अर्जुनकी ही भाँति मैं भी यदि चाहूँ तो अपने शस्त्रोंके बलसे देवता, मनुष्य, असुर तथा राक्षसोंसहित इस सम्पूर्ण जगत्को क्षणभरमें निर्जीव बना दूँ
ahaṃ caiva kṣaṇenaiva nirmānuṣyam idaṃ jagat | kuryā śastrabalenaiva sasurāsurarākṣasam ||
Bhīṣma said: “Even I, in a single instant, could render this world devoid of men—by the sheer power of my weapons—this entire realm together with the gods, the asuras, and the rākṣasas.” In context, the statement underscores that mere martial capacity, however overwhelming, is not the highest measure of right action; restraint and adherence to dharma must govern the use of force.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That immense strength and the ability to destroy do not by themselves justify action; the use of force must be governed by dharma, discernment, and restraint.
Bhīṣma emphasizes his own formidable martial capacity—claiming he could annihilate the world in an instant—to highlight the gravity of war and to frame a discussion where moral duty, not raw power, should determine conduct.