Shloka 25
भीष्मधृतराष्ट्रसंवादः — पाण्डवबलप्रशंसा
Bhishma–Dhritarashtra Dialogue: Appraisal of Pandava Strength
एष योत्स्यति संग्रामे गजस्कन्धविशारद: | रथेन वा महाबाहु: क्षपयन् शत्रुवाहिनीम्,महाबाहु जलसंध रथ अथवा हाथीकी पीठपर बैठकर युद्ध करनेमें कुशल हैं। ये संग्राममें शत्रुसेनाका संहार करते हुए लड़ेंगे
eṣa yotsyati saṅgrāme gajaskandhaviśāradaḥ | rathena vā mahābāhuḥ kṣapayan śatravāhinīm ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Pahlawan berlengan perkasa ini, mahir bertempur dari belakang gajah, akan turun ke medan. Sama ada menaiki kereta perang atau gajah, dia akan berjuang sambil melemahkan dan memusnahkan bala tentera musuh.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior’s versatility and competence—able to fight effectively from either elephant-back or chariot—while implicitly reminding the listener that such skill, in the context of war, is directed toward the annihilation of opposing forces and therefore carries heavy moral and political consequences.
Bhīṣma is describing (and effectively evaluating) a formidable combatant’s battlefield capability, emphasizing that he will enter the fight and devastate the enemy host regardless of whether he is mounted on a chariot or an elephant.