रथौ तौ रथशार्दूल मतौ मे रथसत्तमौ ॥
क्षत्रधर्मरतौ वीरौ महत् कर्म करिष्यतः ॥
दण्डधारो महाराज रथ एको नरर्षभः ॥
योत्स्यते समरं प्राप्य स्वेन सैन्येन पालितः ॥
बृहद्बलस् तथा राजा कौसल्यो रथसत्तमः ॥
रथो मम मतस् तात दृढवेगपराक्रमः ॥
एष योत्स्यति संग्रामे स्वां चमूं संप्रहर्षयन् ॥
उग्रायुधो महेष्वासो धार्तराष्ट्रहिते रतः ॥
कृपः शारद्वतो राजन् रथयूथपयूथपः ॥
प्रियान् प्राणान् परित्यज्य प्रधक्ष्यति रिपूंस् तव ॥
rathau tau rathaśārdūla matau me rathasattamau ||
kṣatradharmaratau vīrau mahat karma kariṣyataḥ ||
daṇḍadhāro mahārāja ratha eko nararṣabhaḥ ||
yotsyate samaraṃ prāpya svena sainyena pālitaḥ ||
bṛhadbalas tathā rājā kausalyo rathasattamaḥ ||
ratho mama matas tāta dṛḍhavegaparākramaḥ ||
eṣa yotsyati saṃgrāme svāṃ camūṃ saṃpraharṣayan ||
ugrāyudho maheṣvāso dhārtarāṣṭrahite rataḥ ||
kṛpaḥ śāradvato rājan rathayūthapayūthapaḥ ||
priyān prāṇān parityajya pradhakṣyati ripūṃs tava ||
These two, O tiger among charioteers, are reckoned rathas, the finest of charioteers; devoted to kshatriya dharma, these two heroes will accomplish a great feat. Dandadhara, O great king, is a single ratha, O best of men; on reaching battle he will fight protected by his own army. Likewise King Brihadbala, the Kosalan, is the finest charioteer, a ratha in my judgment, dear one, firm in impetuosity and valor. In battle he will fight while delighting his own army: a fearsomely armed great archer, devoted to the good of the sons of Dhritarashtra. Kripa, son of Sharadvat, O king, leader of the chariot troops, will cast aside his own dear life and burn your enemies.
fa0e204adca9 · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:32:37 AM UTC
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Bhishma continues not merely to praise Duryodhana's allies but to classify their fighting worth and personal motives. What matters in this roll-call are old grievances: Nila remembers Sahadeva, the Trigartas remember Arjuna, and each warrior carries into battle his own bond with the past. War thus reveals itself as the fruit of accumulated debts, rivalries, and kshatriya vows, not as a sudden burst of anger.