Shloka 34
Adhyāya 69: Strategic duels under Bhīṣma’s command
Virāṭa–Bhīṣma; Arjuna–Aśvatthāmā; Bhīma–Duryodhana; Abhimanyu–Lakṣmaṇa
यो धारयति लोकांस्त्रींश्वराचरगुरु: प्रभु: । योद्धा जयश्न जेता च सर्वप्रकृतिरी श्वर:
yo dhārayati lokāṁs trīn śvarācaraguruḥ prabhuḥ | yoddhā jayaś ca jetā ca sarvaprakṛtir īśvaraḥ ||
Ipinahayag ni Bhīṣma na ang Kataas-taasang Panginoon—guro at panginoon ng lahat ng gumagalaw at di-gumagalaw—ang siyang nagtataguyod sa tatlong daigdig. Siya mismo ang mandirigma, Siya ang diwa ng tagumpay, at Siya ang nagwawagi; Siya ang Īśvara, ang pinagmulan at saligan ng lahat ng nilalang at ng lahat ng kalikasan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that ultimate agency belongs to the Supreme Lord: he sustains the cosmos and is the hidden power behind struggle and success. Ethically, it urges humility and dharmic alignment—victory is not merely a product of force, but of the divine order that supports righteousness.
In Bhīṣma Parva, Bhīṣma speaks in praise of Śrī Hari, identifying him as the cosmic sustainer and the decisive factor in battle—warrior, victory, and victor—thereby framing the Kurukṣetra conflict within a larger theological and moral horizon.