Shloka 5
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 165 — Bhīṣma’s Appraisal and Karṇa’s Rebuttal (भीष्म–कर्ण विवादः)
माहिष्मतीपुरीके निवासी राजा नील भी तुम्हारे दलके एक रथी हैं। इन्होंने नीले रंगका कवच पहन रखा है। ये अपने रथसमूहद्वारा शत्रुओंका संहार कर डालेंगे ।। कृतवैर: पुरा चैव सहदेवेन मारिष | योत्स्यते सततं राजंस्तवार्थे कुरुनन्दन,कुरुनन्दन! पूर्वकालमें सहदेवके साथ इनकी शत्रुता हो गयी थी। राजन! ये सदा तुम्हारे शत्रुओंके साथ युद्ध करेंगे
bhīṣma uvāca |
māhiṣmatīpurīke nivāsī rājā nīlo 'pi tumhāre dalasya ekaḥ rathī | eṣa nīla-varṇasya kavacasya dhārī | eṣa sva-ratha-samūhena śatrūn saṁharṣayiṣyati ||
kṛta-vairaḥ purā caiva sahadevena māriṣa | yotsyate satataṁ rājan tavārthe kuru-nandana ||
भीष्म उवाच—माहिष्मतीपुरीवासी राजा नीलोऽपि तव सैन्ये रथी। स नीलवर्मा रथसमूहैः शत्रून् विनाशयिष्यति। स हि पुरा सहदेवेन कृतवैरः; तस्मात् राजन्, स तवार्थे शत्रुभिः सह सततं योत्स्यते, कुरुनन्दन।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how prior enmities and personal histories shape wartime loyalties: a feud with Sahadeva becomes a motive for Nila’s steadfast commitment to fight for the Kuru side. It reflects the Mahabharata’s ethical realism—dharma in war is often entangled with memory, rivalry, and political alignment.
Bhishma is enumerating and characterizing warriors in the Kuru host. He introduces King Nila of Māhiṣmatī as a notable chariot-fighter, marked by blue armor, and explains that because Nila once became hostile to Sahadeva, he will fight persistently for the Kuru king’s cause against the enemy.