Shloka 9
कृप-अर्जुन रथयुद्धम्
Kṛpa–Arjuna Chariot Engagement
यच्चानृत इति ख्यायाद् यः स गच्छेत् पराभवम् । वृणुयुर्मरणं पार्था नानृतत्वं कथंचन,कुरुकुलको आनन्द देनेवाले पाण्डव उसी समय पराक्रम करनेमें समर्थ थे, किंतु वे धर्मके बन्धनमें बँधे थे; इसलिये क्षत्रियव्रतसे विचलित नहीं हुए। यदि कोई अर्जुनको असत्यवादी कहेगा तो वह पराजयको प्राप्त होगा। कुन्तीके पुत्र मौतको गले लगा सकते हैं, किंतु किसी प्रकार असत्यका आश्रय नहीं ले सकते
yaccānṛta iti khyāyād yaḥ sa gacchet parābhavam | vṛṇuyur maraṇaṃ pārthā nānṛtatvaṃ kathaṃcana ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Sesiapa yang mengisytiharkan (Arjuna) sebagai ‘pendusta’ akan menemui kekalahan. Putera-putera Pṛthā, wahai Pārtha, sanggup memilih maut, tetapi tidak akan sekali-kali—dalam apa jua keadaan—berlindung pada dusta.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truthfulness is presented as a non-negotiable pillar of dharma for the Pāṇḍavas: they would rather accept death than adopt falsehood. Moreover, slandering such a person as ‘untruthful’ is itself framed as a cause of one’s downfall.
Bhīṣma is characterizing the ethical steadfastness of the sons of Pṛthā (especially Arjuna) during the Virāṭa episode: even when capable of immediate valor, they remain bound by dharma and do not deviate into dishonorable conduct; hence, calling Arjuna a liar is portrayed as both false and self-destructive for the accuser.