Shloka 10
भीष्मधृतराष्ट्रसंवादः — पाण्डवबलप्रशंसा
Bhishma–Dhritarashtra Dialogue: Appraisal of Pandava Strength
असंख्येयगुणो वीर: प्रहर्ता दारुणद्ुति: । दण्डपाणिरिवासहा: कालवत् प्रचरिष्यति,इस वीरमें असंख्य गुण हैं। यह प्रहार करनेमें कुशल और भयंकर तेजसे सम्पन्न है; अतः दण्डधारी कालके समान असह्ा होकर युद्धभूमिमें विचरण करेगा
asaṅkhyeyaguṇo vīraḥ prahartā dāruṇadyutiḥ | daṇḍapāṇir ivāsahaḥ kālavat pracariṣyati ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wira ini memiliki kebajikan yang tidak terhitung. Mahir menghentam dan bersinar dengan cahaya yang menggerunkan; dia akan merayau di medan perang seperti Masa itu sendiri—tidak mengalah dan tidak tertahan—sambil menggenggam tongkat hukuman.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames martial prowess within a moral-political idea: daṇḍa (punitive authority) is a force that, when embodied by a powerful warrior, becomes inexorable like Kāla. It highlights how overwhelming power in war can function as an instrument of inevitable consequence—rewarding and punishing through the outcomes of battle.
Bhishma is describing a particular hero’s battlefield nature—countless virtues, deadly striking ability, and terrifying brilliance—predicting that he will move through the war like Time/Death itself, unstoppable and punitive, dominating the field.