Shloka 8
भीष्मधृतराष्ट्रसंवादः — पाण्डवबलप्रशंसा
Bhishma–Dhritarashtra Dialogue: Appraisal of Pandava Strength
जीवितं प्रियमत्यर्थमायुष्काम: सदा द्विज: । न हास्य सदृश: कश्चिदुभयो: सेनयोरपि,इस ब्राह्मणको अपना जीवन बहुत प्रिय है, अतः यह सदा दीर्घायु बना रहना चाहता है (यही इसका दोष है)। अन्यथा दोनों सेनाओंमें इसके समान शक्तिशाली कोई नहीं है
jīvitaṃ priyam atyartham āyuṣkāmaḥ sadā dvijaḥ | na hāsya sadṛśaḥ kaścid ubhayoḥ senayor api ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Brāhmaṇa ini terlalu mencintai nyawanya; sebab itu dia sentiasa mendambakan umur panjang—itulah kelemahannya. Jika tidak, dalam kedua-dua bala tentera tiada seorang pun yang setara dengannya dalam kekuatan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights a moral-psychological point: extraordinary capability can be undermined by attachment to one’s own survival. Excessive love of life (āyuṣkāmatā) becomes a strategic and ethical vulnerability, even in someone otherwise unmatched in strength.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma evaluates a formidable brāhmaṇa figure and explains to his listeners that, although no warrior in either camp equals him in power, his intense desire to preserve his life constitutes his principal flaw—information relevant for anticipating his conduct in conflict.