ते स्म युद्धेष्व् अभज्यन्त त्रयो वर्णाः पुनः पुनः ॥
क्षत्रियास् तु जयन्त्य् एव बहुलं चैकतो बलम् ॥
ततस् ते क्षत्रियान् एव पप्रच्छुर् द्विजसत्तमाः ॥
तेभ्यः शशंसुर् धर्मज्ञा याथातथ्यं पितामह ॥
वयम् एकस्य शृणुमो महाबुद्धिमतो रणे ॥
भवन्तस् तु पृथक् सर्वे स्वबुद्धिवशवर्तिनः ॥
ततस् ते ब्राह्मणाश् चक्रुर् एकं सेनापतिं द्विजम् ॥
नयेषु कुशलं शूरम् अजयन् क्षत्रियांस् ततः ॥
एवं ये कुशलं शूरं हिते स्थितम् अकल्मषम् ॥
सेनापतिं प्रकुर्वन्ति ते जयन्ति रणे रिपून् ॥
te sma yuddheṣv abhajyanta trayo varṇāḥ punaḥ punaḥ ||
kṣatriyās tu jayanty eva bahulaṃ caikato balam ||
tatas te kṣatriyān eva papracchur dvijasattamāḥ ||
tebhyaḥ śaśaṃsur dharmajñā yāthātathyaṃ pitāmaha ||
vayam ekasya śṛṇumo mahābuddhimato raṇe ||
bhavantas tu pṛthak sarve svabuddhivaśavartinaḥ ||
tatas te brāhmaṇāś cakrur ekaṃ senāpatiṃ dvijam ||
nayeṣu kuśalaṃ śūram ajayan kṣatriyāṃs tataḥ ||
evaṃ ye kuśalaṃ śūraṃ hite sthitam akalmaṣam ||
senāpatiṃ prakurvanti te jayanti raṇe ripūn ||
These three varnas were defeated again and again in battle, while the kshatriyas prevailed, though the force arrayed against them was great and united. Then the foremost of the twice-born questioned the kshatriyas themselves, and the knowers of dharma answered them truthfully, O forefather: "In battle we obey one man of great wisdom, while all of you act separately, each following the will of his own mind." Thereupon the brahmins made one twice-born their commander-in-chief -- skilled in strategy and valiant -- and thus defeated the kshatriyas. So those who appoint as commander-in-chief one who is skilled, valiant, established in the welfare of others, and blameless, conquer their enemies in battle.
0ebc93a1b46b · प्रकाशित 17 जुल॰ 2026, 6:17:52 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Duryodhana grasps the outward need for unified command, yet his choice still stands within an already broken dharma. Bhishma's answer reveals the tragic duality of his position: bound by duty to the throne, he does not renounce his knowledge of the truth or his attachment to the Pandavas. Bhishma's conditions, and Karna's refusal to fight under him, show that even within the vast Kaurava army, unity remains only superficial.