Shloka 6
अध्याय ५५ — भीष्मस्य प्रचण्डविक्रमः, अर्जुनप्रत्युत्तरं, कृष्णस्य चक्रोद्यतिः
Chapter 55: Bhīṣma’s onslaught, Arjuna’s counter, and Kṛṣṇa’s raised discus
अपर्याप्तं॑ तदस्माकं बल॑ भीष्माभिरक्षितम् | पर्याप्तमिदमेतेषां बल॑ भीमाभिरक्षितम्
aparyāptaṁ tad asmākaṁ balaṁ bhīṣmābhirakṣitam | paryāptam idam eteṣāṁ balaṁ bhīmābhirakṣitam ||
“Quân ta, được Bhīṣma che chở, dường như mênh mông vô lượng và khó bề khuất phục; còn quân họ, được Bhīma trấn giữ, lại có vẻ hữu hạn, vì thế dễ bề chế ngự hơn.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how assessments of strength depend not only on numbers but on leadership and confidence. ‘Protected by Bhīṣma’ is taken as a guarantee of resilience, while ‘protected by Bhīma’ is framed as something more containable—showing how perception, morale, and reputation influence strategic thinking in war.
Sañjaya is conveying to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the comparative outlook on the two armies at Kurukṣetra: the Kauravas feel their forces are formidable under Bhīṣma’s protection, whereas the Pāṇḍava forces are described as more manageable under Bhīma’s protection. It is part of the pre-battle appraisal of relative strength and command.