Shloka 9
Śikhaṇḍinī’s Disclosure, Drupada’s Counsel, and the Petition to Yakṣa Sthūṇākarṇa
Udyoga Parva 192
शृणु राजन् मम रणे या शक्ति: परमा भवेत् | शस्त्रवीर्य रणे यच्च भुजयोश्व॒ महाभुज
śṛṇu rājan mama raṇe yā śaktiḥ paramā bhavet | śastravīryaṃ raṇe yac ca bhujayoś ca mahābhuja ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Hãy lắng nghe, hỡi Đại vương. Ta sẽ nói cho người biết sức mạnh tối thượng của ta nơi chiến địa là gì—ta có bao nhiêu uy lực trong chiến trận nhờ binh khí và nhờ sức mạnh của đôi cánh tay này, hỡi bậc đại-đại-bàng!”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames martial power as something to be stated responsibly and transparently: Bhīṣma prepares to disclose the true extent of his battlefield capability—weapon-skill and bodily strength—so that the king can judge strategy and duty with clear knowledge rather than pride or rumor.
In Udyoga Parva, as war preparations intensify, Bhīṣma addresses the king and begins an account of his supreme strength in battle, indicating he will describe his prowess with weapons and the force of his arms—information relevant to counsel, planning, and the coming conflict.