Shloka 9
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)
चरितव्रद्याचर्याश्व सर्वे तात तपस्विन: । ह्वीमन्त: पुरुषव्याप्रा व्याप्रा इव बलोत्कटा:
caritavrata-brahmacaryāś ca sarve tāta tapassvinaḥ | hrīmantaḥ puruṣavyāghrā vyāghrā iva balotkaṭāḥ ||
चरितव्रताचार्याश्च सर्वे तात तपस्विन:। ह्रीमान्त: पुरुषव्याघ्रा व्याघ्रा इव बलोत्कटा:॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma links true power with dharmic self-restraint: the Pāṇḍavas’ formidable strength is grounded in disciplined conduct, vows, and brahmacarya, showing that ethical training and inner control are sources of legitimate might.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma describes the Pāṇḍavas to the Kuru side, emphasizing their ascetic discipline, modest restraint, and tiger-like prowess—an assessment meant to convey their seriousness and the danger of underestimating them.