Shloka 166
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)
उभयो: सेनयोर्वीरो रथो नास्तीति तादृश: । लाल नेत्रोंवाले निद्राविजयी अर्जुनके सखा और सहायक नारायणस्वरूप भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण हैं। कौरव-पाण्डव दोनों सेनाओंमें अर्जुनके समान वीर रथी दूसरा कोई नहीं है
ubhayor senayor vīro ratho nāstīti tādṛśaḥ | lāla-netro 'vale nidrā-vijayī arjunasya sakhā ca sahāyakaś ca nārāyaṇa-svarūpo bhagavān śrī-kṛṣṇaḥ | kaurava-pāṇḍava ubhayoḥ senayoḥ arjuna-samo vīra-rathī dvitīyo na kaścit |
Bhīṣma berkata: “Dalam kedua-dua bala tentera, tiadalah wira pejuang kereta perang yang seumpamanya. Kerana sahabat dan pembantu Arjuna ialah Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa sendiri—Nārāyaṇa dalam rupa—bermata laksana teratai dan penakluk tidur. Maka, dalam kalangan Kaurava mahupun Pāṇḍava, tiada pejuang kereta perang kedua yang setara dengan Arjuna.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights that true strength is not merely personal prowess but also the quality of one’s support and alignment with dharma: Arjuna’s unmatched status arises because his ally is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, identified with Nārāyaṇa—implying that divine guidance and righteous companionship elevate human capability.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma assesses the relative power of the opposing forces. He declares that no chariot-warrior in either the Kaurava or Pāṇḍava army equals Arjuna, chiefly because Kṛṣṇa—ever-vigilant and divine in nature—stands as Arjuna’s friend and helper.