Shloka 25
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)
न तृतीयो<स्ति राजेन्द्र सेनयोरुभयोरपि । य एन॑ शरवर्षाणि वर्षन्तमुदियाद् रथी
na tṛtīyo 'sti rājendra senayor ubhayor api | ya enaṁ śaravarṣāṇi varṣantam udiyād rathī | mayā athavā droṇācāryaḥ hī dhanañjayakā samānaṁ kartuṁ śaknoti | rājendra! ubhayasenayoḥ tṛtīyo na kaścid evaṁvidho rathī, yo bāṇavarṣaṁ kurvāṇam arjunaṁ prati gantum arhati ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai raja! Dalam kedua-dua angkatan, tiada pahlawan ketiga. Hanya aku, atau Droṇa, yang benar-benar dapat berdiri menentang Dhanañjaya ketika dia mara sambil menghujani anak panah. Wahai penghulu para raja! Selain kami berdua, tiada pejuang kereta perang yang mampu keluar menyambut Arjuna ketika dia mencurahkan hujan panah itu.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores a martial-ethical assessment: true capability must be acknowledged without envy or exaggeration. Bhīṣma frankly ranks warriors by merit, implying that dharma in counsel includes honest appraisal of strength and limits, even when it concerns an opponent.
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma addresses the king (Duryodhana) and evaluates the battlefield reality: when Arjuna advances in full force, only Bhīṣma or Droṇa can credibly confront him; no other chariot-warrior in either army can.