Shloka 7
भीष्मधृतराष्ट्रसंवादः — पाण्डवबलप्रशंसा
Bhishma–Dhritarashtra Dialogue: Appraisal of Pandava Strength
दोषस्त्वस्य महानेको येनैव भरतर्षभ | न मे रथो नातिरथो मतः पार्थिवसत्तम,किंतु भरतश्रेष्ठ! नृपशिरोमणे! इसमें एक ही बहुत बड़ा दोष है, जिससे मैं इसे न तो अतिरथी मानता हूँ और न रथी ही
doṣas tv asya mahān eko yenaiva bharatarṣabha | na me ratho nātiratho mataḥ pārthivasattama || kintu bharataśreṣṭha! nṛpaśiromaṇe! asmin eka eva mahān doṣaḥ, yena aham enaṁ na atirathaṁ manye na rathaṁ ca ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Hỡi tráng sĩ ưu tú của dòng Bharata, trong chàng có một khuyết điểm lớn; vì lẽ ấy, hỡi bậc vương giả tối thượng, ta không xem chàng là ratha hay atiratha. Chỉ một tì vết ấy thôi cũng đủ nặng nề để làm suy giảm địa vị của chàng như một dũng tướng chiến xa.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights that a single serious defect can outweigh many strengths: true excellence—especially in a ruler or warrior—is not only about power or skill but also about the moral and practical integrity that sustains one’s rank and reputation.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma is assessing someone’s standing as a chariot-warrior. He states that one major flaw prevents him from recognizing that person as even a ratha, much less an atiratha, underscoring the gravity of the defect in the context of impending conflict.