Shloka 25
भीष्मसेनापत्याभिषेकः
Bhīṣma’s Appointment as Commander-in-Chief
नच तौ वक्ष्यतो5धर्ममिति मे नैछ्ठिकी मतिः । नापि युक्त च कौन्तेय निवर्तितुमयुध्यत:
na ca tau vakṣyato ’dharmam iti me naiṣṭhikī matiḥ | nāpi yuktaṃ ca kaunteya nivartitum ayudhyataḥ ||
“ਮੇਰਾ ਪੱਕਾ ਮਤ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਦੋਵੇਂ ਅਧਰਮ ਦੀ ਗੱਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਨਗੇ। ਅਤੇ ਹੇ ਕੁੰਤੀ-ਪੁੱਤਰ, ਅਜੇ ਲੜਾਈ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਤਰੇ ਬਿਨਾਂ ਹੀ ਯੁੱਧ ਤੋਂ ਹਟ ਜਾਣਾ ਵੀ ਸਾਡੇ ਲਈ ਉਚਿਤ ਨਹੀਂ।”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts two ethical points: confidence that trustworthy figures will not advocate adharma, and the impropriety of retreating from a justly undertaken conflict out of hesitation—especially before even entering the fight—highlighting steadiness in dharma and duty.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a speaker’s firm judgment: the two persons under discussion will not counsel unrighteousness, and therefore the Pāṇḍavas (addressed as Kaunteya) should not withdraw from the impending war merely from reluctance.