Mahabharata · 5.165.26-27
॥
Devanāgarī
कृतः सेनापतिस् त्व् एष त्वया भीष्मो नराधिप ॥
सेनापतिं गुणो गन्ता न तु योधान् कथं चन ॥
नाहं जीवति गाङ्गेये योत्स्ये राजन् कथं चन ॥
हते तु भीष्मे योधास्मि सर्वैर् एव महारथैः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kṛtaḥ senāpatis tv eṣa tvayā bhīṣmo narādhipa ||
senāpatiṃ guṇo gantā na tu yodhān kathaṃ cana ||
nāhaṃ jīvati gāṅgeye yotsye rājan kathaṃ cana ||
hate tu bhīṣme yodhāsmi sarvair eva mahārathaiḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कृतःkṛtaḥmade; appointed
सेनापतिस्senāpatiscommander of the army; commander-in-chief
त्व्tvindeed; but
एषeṣathis; he
त्वयाtvayāby you; on your part
भीष्मोbhīṣmoBhishma; grandfather Bhishma
नराधिपnarādhipaO lord of men; king of men
सेनापतिंsenāpatiṃto the commander; to the commander-in-chief
गुणोguṇomerit; credit
गन्ताgantāwill go; will accrue
नnanot; no
तुtubut; however
योधान्yodhānto the warriors; to the fighters; to the combatants
कथंkathaṃhow; in what way
चनcanaat all; in no way
नाहंnāhaṃnot I; I will not
जीवतिjīvatilives; while alive
गाङ्गेयेgāṅgeyewhile the son of Ganga lives; while Gangeya Bhishma lives
योत्स्येyotsyewill fight; shall fight
राजन्rājanO king; sovereign
कथंkathaṃhow; in what way
चनcanaat all; in no way
हतेhatewhen slain; after his death
तुtubut; however
भीष्मेbhīṣmewhen Bhishma; concerning Bhishma
योधास्मिyodhāsmiI will be a warrior; I will fight
सर्वैर्sarvairwith all; together with all
एवevaindeed; precisely
महारथैःmahārathaiḥthe great charioteers; the mighty warriors
Translation
'You, O lord of men, have made this Bhishma the commander; the credit will go to the commander, not to the warriors. While Gangeya lives, I will not fight at all, O king; but when Bhishma is slain, I will join battle against all the maharathas.'
Version
f346eb1740df · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:32:37 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
In this chapter the hidden rift within the Kaurava camp becomes visible. Bhishma calls Karna a half-ratha not out of simple dislike: he is pointing to the loss of Karna's natural armor, to the curses laid on him, and to his unreliability at the decisive moment. But Karna hears this as public humiliation and answers even more destructively, calling into question Bhishma's very ability to judge warriors. Thus, on the eve of war, the weakness of Duryodhana's side becomes apparent: an outwardly immense army is already cracking from within, undone by pride, rivalry, and an inability to accept the truth.