Shloka 14
Śikhaṇḍinī’s Disclosure, Drupada’s Counsel, and the Petition to Yakṣa Sthūṇākarṇa
Udyoga Parva 192
मुज्चेयं यदि वास्त्राणि महान्ति समरे स्थित: । शतसाहस््रघातीनि हन्यां मासेन भारत
muñceyaṃ yadi vāstrāṇi mahānti samare sthitaḥ | śatasāhasraghātīni hanyāṃ māsenā bhārata ||
ஓ பாரதா! போர்க்களத்தில் உறுதியாக நின்று, நூற்றாயிரங்களை அழிக்கவல்ல என் மகாஸ்திரங்களை நான் விடுவித்தால், ஒரே மாதத்திற்குள் பாண்டவர்களின் முழு சேனையையும் அழித்துவிட முடியும்.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between capability and restraint: immense power in war exists, yet dharma demands reflection on when (and whether) to unleash it. Bhīṣma’s statement underscores that victory is not only a matter of strength but also of moral limits, vows, and the larger consequences of violence.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma speaks about his battlefield capacity. He tells the addressed ‘Bhārata’ that if he were to employ his mighty astras, he could annihilate the Pāṇḍava forces within a month—an assessment meant to inform strategic and political judgment on the brink of war.