Shloka 2
अध्याय १६९ — भीष्मस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रशंसा तथा शिखण्डिविषये नियमः
Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava Forces and His Constraint Regarding Śikhaṇḍin
अभिमन्युर्महाबाहू रथयूथपयूथप: । सम: पार्थन समरे वासुदेवेन चारिहा
abhimanyur mahābāhu rathayūthapayūthapaḥ | samaḥ pārthena samare vāsudevena cārihā ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Si Abhimanyu, ang makapangyarihang-bisig na bayani, ay pinuno sa mga pinuno ng mga pangkat ng karwahe. Sa labanan, kapantay siya ni Pārtha (Arjuna) at ni Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) sa lakas ng loob at giting, at siya’y tagapagwasak ng mga kaaway.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights the dharmic ideal of the kṣatriya: disciplined training, steadfast vows, and leadership expressed as measured valor. Excellence in war is framed not as mere aggression but as duty carried by a well-trained, self-controlled warrior.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma assesses key fighters. Here he praises Abhimanyu as an exceptional chariot-commander, declaring him comparable in battlefield prowess to Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa, thereby signaling the Pandava side’s formidable strength.