Shloka 23
तथाहं भरतश्रेष्ठ सर्वसेनापतिस्तव । शत्रून् विध्वंसयिष्यामि कदर्थीकृत्य पाण्डवान्
tathāhaṃ bharataśreṣṭha sarvasenāpatistava | śatrūn vidhvaṃsayīṣyāmi kadarthīkṛtya pāṇḍavān ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Benarlah demikian, wahai yang terbaik dalam keturunan Bharata. Akulah panglima tertinggi bagi seluruh bala tentera tuanku; maka aku akan menghancurkan angkatan musuh, terlebih dahulu menimpakan penderitaan kepada para Pāṇḍava, lalu membinasakan para pejuang pihak lawan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between personal affection and role-based duty: Bhīṣma, bound by allegiance and his office as commander, commits himself to prosecuting the war against the Pāṇḍavas despite the moral weight of harming kin.
In the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation context, Bhīṣma addresses a Kuru leader as “best of the Bharatas,” affirming his position as commander-in-chief and declaring his intention to subdue the Pāṇḍavas and destroy the opposing forces.