Shloka 24
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Kaurava Champions (भीष्मकृतः रथिनां गुणनिरूपणम्)
न त्वात्मनो गुणान् वक्तुमहामि विदितोडस्मि ते । कृतवर्मा त्वतिरथो भोज: शस्त्रभृतां वर:
na tv ātmano guṇān vaktum aham iha vidito ’smi te | kṛtavarmā tv atiratho bhojaḥ śastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Tidak wajar aku mengucapkan pujian tentang kelebihanku sendiri; engkau sudah mengenaliku. Dalam bala tentera tuanku, putera Bhoja, Kṛtavarmā, berdiri sebagai seorang atiratha—pahlawan kereta perang yang luar biasa—yang terunggul antara para pemegang senjata.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma models kṣatriya decorum and ethical restraint: self-praise is improper, while recognizing the proven excellence of others—especially in a grave context like war—is appropriate.
In the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation discourse, Bhīṣma speaks about martial strengths. He declines to advertise his own prowess and instead points out that Kṛtavarmā, a Bhoja ally, is an outstanding atiratha in the listener’s army.