Shloka 856
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
ऋते कृष्णान्महाभागात् पाण्डवाद् वा धनज्जयात् । मैं महाभाग भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण अथवा पाण्डुपुत्र धनंजयके सिवा दूसरे किसीको जगतमें ऐसा नहीं देखता, जो युद्धके लिये उद्यत होनेपर मुझे मार सके
ṛte kṛṣṇān mahābhāgāt pāṇḍavād vā dhanañjayāt |
Bhīṣma disse: “Exceto o ilustre Kṛṣṇa, ou o Pāṇḍava Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), não vejo ninguém neste mundo que—uma vez que eu tenha tomado as armas e esteja resoluto a lutar—possa abater-me.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma’s statement highlights that mere human strength is insufficient against certain dharma-supported forces: only Kṛṣṇa (as divine strategist and protector of dharma) or Arjuna (as the foremost archer acting under that guidance) can overcome him. It frames power as ultimately subordinate to righteousness and divine sanction.
On the battlefield context of Bhīṣma Parva, Bhīṣma assesses who could possibly defeat him once he is fully committed to battle. He declares that no one else in the world has the capacity to kill him, underscoring both his own martial supremacy and the exceptional status of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna.