Shloka 4
भीष्मस्य सेनापत्यप्रतिज्ञा तथा रथसंख्यावर्णनम् | Bhishma Accepts Command and Enumerates Kaurava Strength
परवीर्य समाश्रित्य यः समाह्दयते परान् | क्षत्रबन्धु रशक्तत्वाल्लोके स पुरुषाधम:,“जो दूसरेके बल-पराक्रमका आश्रय ले शत्रुओंको युद्धके लिये बुलाता है, वह क्षत्रबन्धु असमर्थ होनेके कारण लोकमें पुरुषाधम कहा गया है
paravīrya samāśritya yaḥ samāhvayate parān | kṣatrabandhuḥ aśaktatvāl loke sa puruṣādhamaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Sesiapa yang bersandar pada kekuatan dan keperkasaan orang lain lalu mencabar musuh ke medan perang, hanyalah seorang kṣatriya pada nama. Kerana ketidakmampuannya sendiri, dunia menilainya sebagai yang paling hina antara manusia.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse criticizes the warrior who issues a battle-challenge while depending on others’ strength. In the kṣatriya ethical ideal, courage and accountability must be personal; relying on borrowed might to provoke conflict is portrayed as dishonorable and morally blameworthy.
Sañjaya delivers a moral judgment within the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation context, characterizing a certain type of challenger: one who summons opponents to fight not from his own capacity but by sheltering behind stronger allies, thereby earning the reproach ‘kṣatrabandhu’ and ‘puruṣādhama’.