नैतच् चित्रं महाबाहो त्वयि कौरवनन्दन ॥
कथितो नारदेनासि पूर्वर्षिर् अमितद्युतिः ॥
वासुदेवसहायस् त्वं महत् कर्म करिष्यसि ॥
यन् नोत्सहति देवेन्द्रः सह देवैर् अपि ध्रुवम् ॥
विदुस् त्वां निधनं पार्थ सर्वक्षत्रस्य तद्विदः ॥
धनुर्धराणाम् एकस् त्वं पृथिव्यां प्रवरो नृषु ॥
मनुष्या जगति श्रेष्ठाः पक्षिणां गरुडो वरः ॥
सरसां सागरः श्रेष्ठो गौर् वरिष्ठा चतुष्पदाम् ॥
आदित्यस् तेजसां श्रेष्ठो गिरीणां हिमवान् वरः ॥
जातीनां ब्राह्मणः श्रेष्ठः श्रेष्ठस् त्वम् असि धन्विनाम् ॥
न वै श्रुतं धार्तराष्ट्रेण वाक्यं; संबोध्यमानं विदुरेण चैव ॥
द्रोणेन रामेण जनार्दनेन; मुहुर् मुहुः संजयेनापि चोक्तम् ॥
परीतबुद्धिर् हि विसंज्ञकल्पो; दुर्योधनो नाभ्यनन्दद् वचो मे ॥
स शेष्यते वै निहतश् चिराय; शास्त्रातिगो भीमबलाभिभूतः ॥
naitac citraṃ mahābāho tvayi kauravanandana ||
kathito nāradenāsi pūrvarṣir amitadyutiḥ ||
vāsudevasahāyas tvaṃ mahat karma kariṣyasi ||
yan notsahati devendraḥ saha devair api dhruvam ||
vidus tvāṃ nidhanaṃ pārtha sarvakṣatrasya tadvidaḥ ||
dhanurdharāṇām ekas tvaṃ pṛthivyāṃ pravaro nṛṣu ||
manuṣyā jagati śreṣṭhāḥ pakṣiṇāṃ garuḍo varaḥ ||
sarasāṃ sāgaraḥ śreṣṭho gaur variṣṭhā catuṣpadām ||
ādityas tejasāṃ śreṣṭho girīṇāṃ himavān varaḥ ||
jātīnāṃ brāhmaṇaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhas tvam asi dhanvinām ||
na vai śrutaṃ dhārtarāṣṭreṇa vākyaṃ; saṃbodhyamānaṃ vidureṇa caiva ||
droṇena rāmeṇa janārdanena; muhur muhuḥ saṃjayenāpi coktam ||
parītabuddhir hi visaṃjñakalpo; duryodhano nābhyanandad vaco me ||
sa śeṣyate vai nihataś cirāya; śāstrātigo bhīmabalābhibhūtaḥ ||
"This is no wonder in you, great-armed one, joy of the Kurus. Narada has already spoken of you as an ancient rishi of boundless splendor. With Vasudeva as your ally, you will accomplish a great deed which not even Indra together with all the gods would surely dare. Those who know the truth, O son of Pritha, know you as the death of the entire kshatriya order. Among archers on this earth, you alone are the foremost of men. Men are excellent in this world, Garuda is excellent among birds, the ocean among bodies of water, the cow among four-footed creatures, the sun among luminaries, the Himalaya among mountains, the brahmin among births — so too are you the foremost among archers. The son of Dhritarashtra did not heed the words with which he was counseled by Vidura, by Drona, by Rama, by Janardana, and again and again by Sanjaya. Duryodhana, his mind overwhelmed and nearly senseless, did not welcome my counsel. Having transgressed instruction, overwhelmed by Bhima's might, he shall lie slain for a long time to come."
cc25a067fcd6 · published Jul 17, 2026, 10:03:51 PM UTC
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Bhishma ties Arjuna's greatness to the presence of Vasudeva: the strength of Pritha's son becomes unstoppable because it acts alongside Krishna. At the same time he names again the root of the disaster — not a lack of counselors, but Duryodhana's refusal to hear the truth.