Shloka 14
Śikhaṇḍinī’s Disclosure, Drupada’s Counsel, and the Petition to Yakṣa Sthūṇākarṇa
Udyoga Parva 192
मुज्चेयं यदि वास्त्राणि महान्ति समरे स्थित: । शतसाहस््रघातीनि हन्यां मासेन भारत
muñceyaṃ yadi vāstrāṇi mahānti samare sthitaḥ | śatasāhasraghātīni hanyāṃ māsenā bhārata ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Nếu ta đứng vững giữa chiến địa mà tung ra những đại binh khí của ta—những thứ có thể sát hại hàng trăm nghìn—thì, hỡi Bhārata, chỉ trong một tháng ta có thể tiêu diệt toàn bộ quân đội Pāṇḍava.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between capability and restraint: immense power in war exists, yet dharma demands reflection on when (and whether) to unleash it. Bhīṣma’s statement underscores that victory is not only a matter of strength but also of moral limits, vows, and the larger consequences of violence.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma speaks about his battlefield capacity. He tells the addressed ‘Bhārata’ that if he were to employ his mighty astras, he could annihilate the Pāṇḍava forces within a month—an assessment meant to inform strategic and political judgment on the brink of war.