किं नु दुर्योधनैवं मां वाक्शल्यैर् उपविध्यसि ॥
घटमानं यथाशक्ति कुर्वाणं च तव प्रियम् ॥
जुह्वानं समरे प्राणांस् तवैव हितकाम्यया ॥
यदा तु पाण्डवः शूरः खाण्डवे ऽग्निम् अतर्पयत् ॥
पराजित्य रणे शक्रं पर्याप्तं तन् निदर्शनम् ॥
यदा च त्वां महाबाहो गन्धर्वैर् हृतम् ओजसा ॥
अमोचयत् पाण्डुसुतः पर्याप्तं तन् निदर्शनम् ॥
द्रवमाणेषु शूरेषु सोदरेषु तथाभिभो ॥
सूतपुत्रे च राधेये पर्याप्तं तन् निदर्शनम् ॥
यच् च नः सहितान् सर्वान् विराटनगरे तदा ॥
एक एव समुद्यातः पर्याप्तं तन् निदर्शनम् ॥
द्रोणं च युधि संरब्धं मां च निर्जित्य संयुगे ॥
कर्णं च त्वां च द्रौणिं च कृपं च सुमहारथम् ॥
वासांसि स समादत्त पर्याप्तं तन् निदर्शनम् ॥
निवातकवचान् युद्धे वासवेनापि दुर्जयान् ॥
जितवान् समरे पार्थः पर्याप्तं तन् निदर्शनम् ॥
को हि शक्तो रणे जेतुं पाण्डवं रभसं रणे ॥
त्वं तु मोहान् न जानीषे वाच्यावाच्यं सुयोधन ॥
मुमूर्षुर् हि नरः सर्वान् वृक्षान् पश्यति काञ्चनान् ॥
तथा त्वम् अपि गान्धारे विपरीतानि पश्यसि ॥
स्वयं वैरं महत् कृत्वा पाण्डवैः सहसृञ्जयैः ॥
युध्यस्व तान् अद्य रणे पश्यामः पुरुषो भव ॥
kiṃ nu duryodhanaivaṃ māṃ vākśalyair upavidhyasi ||
ghaṭamānaṃ yathāśakti kurvāṇaṃ ca tava priyam ||
juhvānaṃ samare prāṇāṃs tavaiva hitakāmyayā ||
yadā tu pāṇḍavaḥ śūraḥ khāṇḍave 'gnim atarpayat ||
parājitya raṇe śakraṃ paryāptaṃ tan nidarśanam ||
yadā ca tvāṃ mahābāho gandharvair hṛtam ojasā ||
amocayat pāṇḍusutaḥ paryāptaṃ tan nidarśanam ||
dravamāṇeṣu śūreṣu sodareṣu tathābhibho ||
sūtaputre ca rādheye paryāptaṃ tan nidarśanam ||
yac ca naḥ sahitān sarvān virāṭanagare tadā ||
eka eva samudyātaḥ paryāptaṃ tan nidarśanam ||
droṇaṃ ca yudhi saṃrabdhaṃ māṃ ca nirjitya saṃyuge ||
karṇaṃ ca tvāṃ ca drauṇiṃ ca kṛpaṃ ca sumahāratham ||
vāsāṃsi sa samādatta paryāptaṃ tan nidarśanam ||
nivātakavacān yuddhe vāsavenāpi durjayān ||
jitavān samare pārthaḥ paryāptaṃ tan nidarśanam ||
ko hi śakto raṇe jetuṃ pāṇḍavaṃ rabhasaṃ raṇe ||
tvaṃ tu mohān na jānīṣe vācyāvācyaṃ suyodhana ||
mumūrṣur hi naraḥ sarvān vṛkṣān paśyati kāñcanān ||
tathā tvam api gāndhāre viparītāni paśyasi ||
svayaṃ vairaṃ mahat kṛtvā pāṇḍavaiḥ sahasṛñjayaiḥ ||
yudhyasva tān adya raṇe paśyāmaḥ puruṣo bhava ||
Bhishma said: "Why, Duryodhana, do you pierce me so with word-arrows, when I strive to the best of my strength, do what is dear to you, and offer up my life in battle for your own good? When the valiant Pandava satisfied Agni at Khandava, defeating Shakra in battle, that example is enough. When the son of Pandu freed you, mighty-armed one, from your captivity by the gandharvas' force, while the heroes, your own brothers, and Radheya-Karna fled, that example is enough. When he alone rose up against all of us gathered then in the city of Virata, that example is enough. In battle he defeated the enraged Drona, and me, and Karna, and you, and Drona's son, and the mighty car-warrior Kripa, and then took away our garments; that example is enough. In battle Partha conquered the Nivatakavachas, invincible even for Vasava; that example is enough. Who indeed is able in battle to conquer the impetuous Pandava? But you, Suyodhana, out of delusion do not understand what should and should not be said. A man near death sees all trees as golden; so you too, son of Gandhari, see everything reversed. Having yourself created great enmity with the Pandavas together with the Srinjayas, fight them today in battle. Let us see: prove yourself a man."
a77db21c3217 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:47:12 PM UTC
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Bhishma does not defend himself with empty words: he reminds Duryodhana of facts in which Arjuna's strength was already plain to everyone. Duryodhana's delusion is not a lack of information but a refusal to accept the obvious, because admitting the truth would shatter his pride.