Shloka 14
Śikhaṇḍinī’s Disclosure, Drupada’s Counsel, and the Petition to Yakṣa Sthūṇākarṇa
Udyoga Parva 192
मुज्चेयं यदि वास्त्राणि महान्ति समरे स्थित: । शतसाहस््रघातीनि हन्यां मासेन भारत
muñceyaṃ yadi vāstrāṇi mahānti samare sthitaḥ | śatasāhasraghātīni hanyāṃ māsenā bhārata ||
ഹേ ഭാരതാ! ഞാൻ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ അചഞ്ചലമായി നിലകൊണ്ട്, ലക്ഷങ്ങളെ സംഹരിക്കാൻ ശേഷിയുള്ള എന്റെ മഹാസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ പ്രയോഗിച്ചാൽ, ഒരു മാസത്തിനകം പാണ്ഡവരുടെ മുഴുവൻ സൈന്യത്തെയും നശിപ്പിക്കാം.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between capability and restraint: immense power in war exists, yet dharma demands reflection on when (and whether) to unleash it. Bhīṣma’s statement underscores that victory is not only a matter of strength but also of moral limits, vows, and the larger consequences of violence.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma speaks about his battlefield capacity. He tells the addressed ‘Bhārata’ that if he were to employ his mighty astras, he could annihilate the Pāṇḍava forces within a month—an assessment meant to inform strategic and political judgment on the brink of war.