भीष्म उवाच
किं नु राधेय वाचा ते कर्म तत् स्मर्तुम् अर्हसि ॥
एक एव यदा पार्थः षड् रथाञ् जितवान् युधि ॥
न चेद् एवं करिष्यामो यद् अयं ब्राह्मणो ऽब्रवीत् ॥
ध्रुवं युधि हतास् तेन भक्षयिष्याम पांसुकान् ॥
वैशंपायन उवाच
धृतराष्ट्रस् ततो भीष्मम् अनुमान्य प्रसाद्य च ॥
अवभर्त्स्य च राधेयम् इदं वचनम् अब्रवीत् ॥
अस्मद्धितम् इदं वाक्यं भीष्मः शांतनवो ऽब्रवीत् ॥
पाण्डवानां हितं चैव सर्वस्य जगतस् तथा ॥
चिन्तयित्वा तु पार्थेभ्यः प्रेषयिष्यामि संजयम् ॥
स भवान् प्रतियात्व् अद्य पाण्डवान् एव माचिरम् ॥
bhīṣma uvāca
kiṃ nu rādheya vācā te karma tat smartum arhasi ||
eka eva yadā pārthaḥ ṣaḍ rathāñ jitavān yudhi ||
na ced evaṃ kariṣyāmo yad ayaṃ brāhmaṇo 'bravīt ||
dhruvaṃ yudhi hatās tena bhakṣayiṣyāma pāṃsukān ||
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
dhṛtarāṣṭras tato bhīṣmam anumānya prasādya ca ||
avabhartsya ca rādheyam idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
asmaddhitam idaṃ vākyaṃ bhīṣmaḥ śāṃtanavo 'bravīt ||
pāṇḍavānāṃ hitaṃ caiva sarvasya jagatas tathā ||
cintayitvā tu pārthebhyaḥ preṣayiṣyāmi saṃjayam ||
sa bhavān pratiyātv adya pāṇḍavān eva māciram ||
Bhishma [said]: 'Yet let them not, out of sheer folly, set their minds on so utterly unrighteous a course. But if, abandoning the path of virtue, they should desire war, then, meeting in battle these praiseworthy Kurus, they will remember these words of mine.' Bhishma said: 'What is the use of your talk, O son of Radha? You ought to remember the occasion when the son of Pritha, alone, overcame six chariot-warriors in battle. If we do not act as this brahmin has said, we shall surely all be slain by him in battle!' Vaishampayana continued: 'Then Dhritarashtra soothed Bhishma with placating words, rebuked the son of Radha, and spoke these words: "What Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, has said is beneficial for us, and for the Pandavas as well, and for the whole universe."'
c0209ee52e2a · published Jul 17, 2026, 3:43:07 AM UTC
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This passage (5.21.16-20) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace unfolds against the backdrop of an already inevitable war. Key themes: the Pandavas, Dhritarashtra, Sanjaya, Bhishma. Here dharma reveals itself through speech, the choice of envoys, faithfulness to promises, and the responsibility kings bear for the consequences of their decisions.