एतस्य समरं दृष्ट्वा न व्यथास्ति कथं चन ॥
उत्स्मयन्न् अभ्युपैत्य् एष परान् रथपथे स्थितान् ॥
एष चारिषु विक्रान्तः कर्म सत्पुरुषोचितम् ॥
कर्ता विमर्दे सुमहत् त्वदर्थे पुरुषोत्तमः ॥
अलायुधो राक्षसेन्द्रः क्रूरकर्मा महाबलः ॥
हनिष्यति परान् राजन् पूर्ववैरम् अनुस्मरन् ॥
एष राक्षससैन्यानां सर्वेषां रथसत्तमः ॥
मायावी दृढवैरश् च समरे विचरिष्यति ॥
प्राग्ज्योतिषाधिपो वीरो भगदत्तः प्रतापवान् ॥
गजाङ्कुशधरश्रेष्ठो रथे चैव विशारदः ॥
etasya samaraṃ dṛṣṭvā na vyathāsti kathaṃ cana ||
utsmayann abhyupaity eṣa parān rathapathe sthitān ||
eṣa cāriṣu vikrāntaḥ karma satpuruṣocitam ||
kartā vimarde sumahat tvadarthe puruṣottamaḥ ||
alāyudho rākṣasendraḥ krūrakarmā mahābalaḥ ||
haniṣyati parān rājan pūrvavairam anusmaran ||
eṣa rākṣasasainyānāṃ sarveṣāṃ rathasattamaḥ ||
māyāvī dṛḍhavairaś ca samare vicariṣyati ||
prāgjyotiṣādhipo vīro bhagadattaḥ pratāpavān ||
gajāṅkuśadharaśreṣṭho rathe caiva viśāradaḥ ||
Having seen the battle, he will not be dismayed in the least; smiling, he will approach the enemies standing in the path of the chariots. This best of men, valiant among his foes, will perform in the clash a great deed for your sake, worthy of a noble man. Alayudha, lord of the rakshasas, cruel in his deeds and mighty, will slay the enemies, O king, remembering their past enmity. This foremost charioteer of all the rakshasa armies, a master of illusion and unyielding in hostility, will range through the battle. The lord of Pragjyotisha, the hero Bhagadatta, mighty, foremost among wielders of the elephant goad, and skilled also on a chariot.
37e30dddcee7 · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:32:37 AM UTC
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Bhishma goes on to weigh not only the warriors' strength but the limits of that strength. Ashvatthaman is nearly boundless in weaponry, yet his attachment to life makes any reckoning of him uncertain; Drona is capable of destroying entire armies, yet his love for Arjuna restrains his hand. In this way the roster of ratha warriors becomes not a dry military ledger but a map of inner knots: valor, attachment, old pacts, past enmity, and personal debts all enter the battle together with the weapons.