Shloka 38
भीष्मकृतः पाण्डवपक्ष-महारथ-प्रशंसा
Bhishma’s appraisal of Pandava-aligned chariot-warriors
युद्धयस्व समरे पार्थ येन विस्पर्थसे सह | द्रक्ष्यामि त्वां विनिर्मुक्तमस्माद् युद्धात् सुदुर्मते
yudhyasva samare pārtha yena visparthase saha | drakṣyāmi tvāṁ vinirmuktam asmād yuddhāt sudurmate durmate ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Hãy giao chiến nơi chiến địa, hỡi Pārtha, với Arjuna—kẻ mà ngươi vẫn luôn ganh đua. Ta sẽ xem ngươi, kẻ tâm trí lệch lạc, có thể thoát khỏi cuộc chiến này bằng cách nào!”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the kṣatriya ethic of facing one’s appointed conflict without evasion: rivalry and honor culminate in direct confrontation, and moral weakness (durmati) is censured when it seeks escape from a justly undertaken battle.
Bhīṣma challenges the addressed warrior (called Pārtha) to fight Arjuna—his long-standing rival—declaring that he will witness whether the opponent can avoid or slip free from the impending war, while rebuking him as misguided (durmati).