Adhyāya 69: Strategic duels under Bhīṣma’s command
Virāṭa–Bhīṣma; Arjuna–Aśvatthāmā; Bhīma–Duryodhana; Abhimanyu–Lakṣmaṇa
यस्माद् द्विषसि गोविन्द पाण्डवं तं धनंजयम् । नरनारायणोौ देवौ कोडन्यो द्विष्याद्धि मानव:
yasmād dviṣasi govinda pāṇḍavaṃ taṃ dhanañjayam | naranārāyaṇau devau ko ’nyo dviṣyād dhi mānavaḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai Govinda, kerana engkau membenci Pāṇḍava itu—Dhanañjaya—siapakah di antara manusia, selain engkau, yang sanggup membencinya? Kerana kedua-dua mereka itu ialah pasangan ilahi Nara dan Nārāyaṇa.”
भीष्म उवाच
Hatred directed at a dharma-aligned person—especially one understood as divinely empowered—reveals moral blindness and envy; Bhīṣma implies that such enmity is irrational and ethically blameworthy because it opposes the very forces that uphold righteousness.
Bhīṣma addresses Govinda (Kṛṣṇa), pointing out that Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) is to be regarded as the divine Nara paired with Nārāyaṇa; therefore Bhīṣma questions how any ordinary human could legitimately hate him, implicitly censuring the hostility shown toward the Pāṇḍavas.