Shloka 8
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)
सिंहसंहनना: सर्वे पाण्डुपुत्रा महाबला:
bhīṣma uvāca | siṃhasaṃhananāḥ sarve pāṇḍuputrā mahābalāḥ | te sarve brahmacaryavrataṃ samyag anuṣṭhitavantaḥ | siṃhavat puruṣarṣabhāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ tapasvinaḥ lajjāśīlāś ca vyāghravat tīvra-balāḥ ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Ang lahat ng anak ni Pāṇḍu ay may pangangatawang gaya ng leon at sukdulang malalakas. Bawat isa’y tapat na tumupad sa panatang brahmacarya. Gaya ng mga leon sa hanay ng mga lalaki, ang mga Pāṇḍava’y mahigpit sa disiplina ng pag-aayuno at pagninilay, mahinhin sa asal, at—gaya ng mga tigre—may mabagsik at nakatuong lakas.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Strength is presented as ethically grounded: Bhīṣma links the Pāṇḍavas’ formidable power to brahmacarya (self-restraint), tapas (discipline), and lajja (moral modesty). The verse implies that true kṣatriya might is most admirable when governed by restraint and propriety.
In Udyoga Parva, as war becomes imminent, Bhīṣma describes the Pāṇḍavas’ qualities to the Kuru side, emphasizing their physical prowess and disciplined character—an assessment that underscores how formidable and principled the opponents are.