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 ||
毗湿摩说道：“婆罗多族之雄啊，他身上唯有一大缺失；正因如此，诸王之最上者啊，我既不将他视为‘车战士’（ratha），亦不视为‘超车战士’（atiratha）。此一缺陷沉重非常，足以削损他作为真正车战冠军的地位。”
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.