Shloka 38
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६२: वासुदेवमहात्म्यप्रशंसा (देव–ब्रह्मसंवादः)
“वीर पितामह! निश्चय ही पाण्डव आपके कृपापात्र हैं, तभी तो मेरी सेनाका वध हो रहा है और आप चुपचाप इसकी दुर्दशाको सहते चले जा रहे हैं ।। सो<स्मि वाच्यस्त्वया राजन् पूर्वमेव समागमे । न योत्स्ये पाण्डवान् संख्ये नापि पार्षतसात्यकी,“महाराज! यदि पाण्डवोंपर दया ही करनी थी तो आप युद्ध आरम्भ होनेके पहले ही मुझे यह बता देते कि मैं संग्रामभूमिमें पाण्डुपुत्रोंसे, धृष्टद्युम्नसे और सात्यकिसे भी युद्ध नहीं करूँगा
sañjaya uvāca | vīra pitāmaha! niścaya hi pāṇḍavā āpake kṛpāpātrāḥ santi, tasmād eva mama senāyāḥ vadho bhavati, bhavān ca tūṣṇīṃ tūṣṇīṃ tasyā durdaśāṃ sahate calito 'sti || so 'smi vācyas tvayā rājan pūrvam eva samāgame | na yotsye pāṇḍavān saṅkhye nāpi pārṣata-sātyakī ||
ఓ రాజా, యుద్ధం మొదలుకాకముందే మీరు నాకు చెప్పి ఉండాలి—‘నేను సంగ్రామంలో పాండవులతోనూ, ధృష్టద్యుమ్నతోనూ, సాత్యకితోనూ యుద్ధం చేయను’ అని.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between formal allegiance and inner moral inclination: a commander’s partiality or compassion, if it limits his commitment to a cause, should be declared openly beforehand, because silence in war can become complicity in avoidable destruction.
Sanjaya reports a complaint directed at Bhishma: the speaker interprets Bhishma’s restraint as compassion for the Pandavas, blaming it for the Kaurava losses, and says Bhishma should have announced before the battle that he would not fight the Pandavas, Dhrishtadyumna, or Satyaki.