Shloka 16

भीष्म–दुर्योधनसंवादः — शिखण्डिनं न हन्तुं कारणकथनम्

Amba-ākhyāna prologue

Devanagari script

सर्व एव रथोदारा: सर्वे चाहवलक्षणा: । सर्वस्त्रिविदुष: सर्वे महात्मानो मता मम,सुकुमार, काशिक, नील, सूर्यदत्त, शंख और मदिराश्व नामक ये सभी योद्धा उदार रथी हैं। युद्ध ही इन सबका शौर्यसूचक चिह्न है। मैं इन सभीको सम्पूर्ण अस्त्रोंके ज्ञाता और महामनस्वी मानता हूँ

Transliteration

sarva eva rathodārāḥ sarve cāhavalakṣaṇāḥ | sarvāstravidaḥ sarve mahātmāno matā mama ||

Translation

ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: “ພວກເຂົາທັງໝົດເປັນນັກຮົບລົດສົງຄາມອັນສູງສົ່ງ; ສົງຄາມເອງແມ່ນເຄື່ອງໝາຍທີ່ໃຫ້ຮູ້ຈັກແຕ່ລະຄົນ. ຂ້າພະເຈົ້ານັບຖືພວກເຂົາທັງໝົດວ່າ ເປັນຜູ້ຊຳນານອາວຸດທຸກຢ່າງ ແລະເປັນຜູ້ມີໃຈໃຫຍ່.” ໃນບົດບາດນີ້ ພີສະມະກຳລັງປະເມີນຄຸນຄ່າຂອງນັກຮົບທີ່ໄດ້ເອີ້ນຊື່ ເພື່ອຢືນຢັນຄວາມສາມາດແລະຈິດໃຈຂອງພວກເຂົາ ກ່ອນສົງຄາມໃຫຍ່.

Word by Word

सर्वेall

एवindeed/only

रथ-उदाराःnoble/excellent chariot-warriors

सर्वेall

चand

आहव-लक्षणाःhaving battle as their mark/sign (i.e., marked by prowess in war)

सर्व-अस्त्र-विदुषःknowers of all weapons

सर्वेall

महात्मानःgreat-souled ones

मताःare considered/are regarded

ममof me / by me (in my opinion)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Sukumāra

Kāśika

Nīla

Sūryadatta

Śaṅkha

Madirāśva

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Competence in one’s duty (here, the warrior’s craft) is acknowledged as a form of excellence, but Bhishma’s praise also implies responsibility: those skilled in arms and famed for battle must be weighed carefully in decisions that lead to war.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the pre-war deliberations of the Udyoga Parva, Bhishma is describing and evaluating a group of fighters, stating that they are distinguished chariot-warriors, recognized by their prowess in battle, and are knowledgeable in all weapons.