Shloka 27
भीष्मस्य सेनापत्यप्रतिज्ञा तथा रथसंख्यावर्णनम् | Bhishma Accepts Command and Enumerates Kaurava Strength
एतदर्थ मया तात पज्च ग्रामा वृता: पुरा । कथं तव सुद्दुर्बुद्धे न प्रेक्षे व्यसनं महत्
etadarthaṃ mayā tāta pañca grāmā vṛtāḥ purā | kathaṃ tava suddurbuddhe na prekṣe vyasanaṃ mahat ||
“ବତ୍ସ! ଏହି କାରଣରୁ ମୁଁ ପୂର୍ବେ କେବଳ ପାଞ୍ଚଟି ଗ୍ରାମ ମାଗିଥିଲି। ହେ ଅତି ଦୁର୍ବୁଦ୍ଧି! ତୋ ଉପରେ ମହା ବିପଦ ଆସୁଥିବାକୁ ମୁଁ ଦେଖିବାକୁ ନ ପଡ଼ୁ—ଏହି ଥିଲା ମୋର ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟ।”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
A minimal, reasonable demand is urged to avert catastrophic harm; wise counsel seeks to prevent ruin, while stubborn misjudgment invites great calamity.
In the tense pre-war negotiations, the speaker recalls that he earlier asked only for five villages as a peace-saving compromise, explaining that the aim was to prevent the addressee from falling into a disastrous crisis.