Shloka 18

भीष्मधृतराष्ट्रसंवादः — पाण्डवबलप्रशंसा

Bhishma–Dhritarashtra Dialogue: Appraisal of Pandava Strength

Devanagari script

हन्यादेकरथेनैव देवगन्धर्वमानुषान्‌ । एकीभूतानपि रणे दिव्यैरस्त्रै: प्रतापवान्‌

Transliteration

hanyād ekarathenaiva devagandharvamānuṣān | ekībhūtān api raṇe divyair astraiḥ pratāpavān ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Chỉ với một chiến xa, dũng sĩ đầy uy lực ấy có thể đánh hạ chư thiên, Gandharva và loài người—dẫu họ hợp nhất trên chiến địa—nhờ những thần khí của mình.”

Word by Word

• हन्यात्: would/should slay
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Optative (potential), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एक: with one
• एक: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• रथेन: chariot
• रथेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• देव: gods
• देव: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• गन्धर्व: gandharvas
• गन्धर्व: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मानुषान्: men/humans
• मानुषान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• एकीभूतान्: united into one/massed together
• एकीभूतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकीभूत (कृदन्त; भू धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दिव्यैः: with divine
• दिव्यैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अस्त्रैः: weapons/missiles
• अस्त्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• प्रतापवान्: the mighty/valorous one
• प्रतापवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Devas
• Gandharvas
• Humans (mānuṣa)
• Divine weapons (divya-astra)
• Chariot (ratha)
• Battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes extraordinary martial capability as a form of deterrent power: a single exceptionally potent warrior, equipped with divine astras, can outweigh even a numerically united opposition. Ethically, it highlights how prowess and weapon-knowledge can shift the balance of dharma-yuddha considerations by making conflict catastrophically one-sided.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is praising or describing a warrior’s overwhelming strength, stating that he could, from a single chariot, defeat even combined forces of gods, Gandharvas, and humans in battle through the use of divine weapons—underscoring the stakes and intensity surrounding the impending war.