वैशंपायन उवाच
ततः शांतनवो भीष्मो भरतानां पितामहः ॥
श्रुतवान् देशकालज्ञस् तत्त्वज्ञः सर्वधर्मवित् ॥
आचार्यवाक्योपरमे तद् वाक्यम् अभिसंदधत् ॥
हितार्थं स उवाचेमां भारतीं भारतान् प्रति ॥
युधिष्ठिरे समासक्तां धर्मज्ञे धर्मसंश्रिताम् ॥
असत्सु दुर्लभां नित्यं सतां चाभिमतां सदा ॥
भीष्मः समवदत् तत्र गिरं साधुभिर् अर्चिताम् ॥
यथैष ब्राह्मणः प्राह द्रोणः सर्वार्थतत्त्ववित् ॥
सर्वलक्षणसंपन्ना नाशं नार्हन्ति पाण्डवाः ॥
श्रुतवृत्तोपसंपन्नाः साधुव्रतसमन्विताः ॥
वृद्धानुशासने मग्नाः सत्यव्रतपरायणाः ॥
समयं समयज्ञास् ते पालयन्तः शुचिव्रताः ॥
नावसीदितुम् अर्हन्ति उद्वहन्तः सतां धुरम् ॥
धर्मतश् चैव गुप्तास् ते स्ववीर्येण च पाण्डवाः ॥
न नाशम् अधिगच्छेयुर् इति मे धीयते मतिः ॥
तत्र बुद्धिं प्रणेष्यामि पाण्डवान् प्रति भारत ॥
न तु नीतिः सुनीतस्य शक्यते ऽन्वेषितुं परैः ॥
यत् तु शक्यम् इहास्माभिस् तान् वै संचिन्त्य पाण्डवान् ॥
बुद्ध्या प्रवक्तुं न द्रोहात् प्रवक्ष्यामि निबोध तत् ॥
सा त्व् इयं साधु वक्तव्या न त्व् अनीतिः कथं चन ॥
वृद्धानुशासने तात तिष्ठतः सत्यशीलिनः ॥
अवश्यं त्व् इह धीरेण सतां मध्ये विवक्षता ॥
यथामति विवक्तव्यं सर्वशो धर्मलिप्सया ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tataḥ śāṃtanavo bhīṣmo bharatānāṃ pitāmahaḥ ||
śrutavān deśakālajñas tattvajñaḥ sarvadharmavit ||
ācāryavākyoparame tad vākyam abhisaṃdadhat ||
hitārthaṃ sa uvācemāṃ bhāratīṃ bhāratān prati ||
yudhiṣṭhire samāsaktāṃ dharmajñe dharmasaṃśritām ||
asatsu durlabhāṃ nityaṃ satāṃ cābhimatāṃ sadā ||
bhīṣmaḥ samavadat tatra giraṃ sādhubhir arcitām ||
yathaiṣa brāhmaṇaḥ prāha droṇaḥ sarvārthatattvavit ||
sarvalakṣaṇasaṃpannā nāśaṃ nārhanti pāṇḍavāḥ ||
śrutavṛttopasaṃpannāḥ sādhuvratasamanvitāḥ ||
vṛddhānuśāsane magnāḥ satyavrataparāyaṇāḥ ||
samayaṃ samayajñās te pālayantaḥ śucivratāḥ ||
nāvasīditum arhanti udvahantaḥ satāṃ dhuram ||
dharmataś caiva guptās te svavīryeṇa ca pāṇḍavāḥ ||
na nāśam adhigaccheyur iti me dhīyate matiḥ ||
tatra buddhiṃ praṇeṣyāmi pāṇḍavān prati bhārata ||
na tu nītiḥ sunītasya śakyate 'nveṣituṃ paraiḥ ||
yat tu śakyam ihāsmābhis tān vai saṃcintya pāṇḍavān ||
buddhyā pravaktuṃ na drohāt pravakṣyāmi nibodha tat ||
sā tv iyaṃ sādhu vaktavyā na tv anītiḥ kathaṃ cana ||
vṛddhānuśāsane tāta tiṣṭhataḥ satyaśīlinaḥ ||
avaśyaṃ tv iha dhīreṇa satāṃ madhye vivakṣatā ||
yathāmati vivaktavyaṃ sarvaśo dharmalipsayā ||
Vaishampayana said: 'Then Bhishma, son of Shantanu, grandfather of the Bharatas — learned, knowing time and place, knowing the truth and all the dharmas — when the teacher's words had come to an end, joined his thought to this speech and, for the sake of good, spoke these words to the Bharatas. Bhishma uttered there a speech honored by the virtuous, bound up with Yudhishthira the knower of dharma, resting upon dharma, ever rare among the wicked and ever cherished by the good: "As this brahmin Drona, who knows the truth of all matters, has said, the Pandavas, endowed with every mark of virtue, do not deserve destruction. They are endowed with learning and good conduct, joined to virtuous vows, immersed in the guidance of their elders, devoted to the vow of truth. Knowing the appointed time and keeping to it, pure in their vows, they should not sink down, for they bear the burden of the virtuous. The Pandavas are protected by dharma and by their own valor; it is my thought that they will not meet with destruction. O Bharata, I will set forth my thinking concerning the Pandavas, but the policy of one who is well-guided cannot be traced out by others. What we can here say with judgment, having considered the Pandavas, not out of enmity — that I shall say; listen. This should be said well, and never as bad policy, when it concerns one who stands firm in the guidance of elders and in truthfulness. One who wishes to speak among the virtuous should speak according to his own understanding, and in every way out of a longing for dharma."'
f1b598e77bf1 · publicado 16 jul 2026, 18:17:35 UTC
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Bhishma speaks of the Pandavas not as an enemy, but as an elder who perceives the law. His words show that true greatness is recognized by dharma, even in the camp of one's opponents.