Shloka 18
भीष्मकृतः पाण्डवपक्ष-महारथ-प्रशंसा
Bhishma’s appraisal of Pandava-aligned chariot-warriors
यथेच्छकं स्वयं ब्रूया रथानतिरथांस्तथा । कामद्वेषसमायुक्तो मोहात् प्रकुरुते भवान्
yathecchakaṁ svayaṁ brūyā rathān atirathāṁs tathā | kāmadveṣasamāyukto mohāt prakurute bhavān ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Engkau berkata sesuka hati, bahkan dalam hal kusir dan para mahāratha. Namun apa yang engkau lakukan sekarang lahir daripada kekeliruan—didorong oleh nafsu dan kebencian.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma warns that speech and judgment become unreliable when driven by kāma (desire) and dveṣa (aversion). Ethical action requires clarity free from moha (delusion), not impulsive preference.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war counsel, Bhīṣma rebukes the addressee for speaking arbitrarily and acting under the sway of desire and hatred, urging a more dharmic, clear-sighted stance as conflict approaches.