05.166
Pancharatra-core: Bhishma upon enquiry describes the strength of five Pandavas.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said:
samudyato'yaṁ bhāro me sumahānsāgaropamaḥ। dhārtarāṣṭrasya saṅgrāme varṣapūgābhicintitaḥ ॥5-166-1॥
This immense burden of mine, comparable to an ocean, has been prepared for the battle of Dhritarashtra's son, having been contemplated over many years.
tasminn abhyāgate kāle pratapte lomaharṣaṇe। mitho bhedo na me kāryas tena jīvasi sūtaja ॥5-166-2॥
At that intense and thrilling moment, it is not my duty to cause division; thus, you live, O son of a charioteer.
na hyahaṃ nādya vikramya sthaviro'pi śiśostava। yuddhaśraddhāṃ raṇe chindyāṃ jīvitasya ca sūtaja ॥5-166-3॥
For even though I am old, I would not today, having attacked, destroy your child's faith in battle and life, O son of Suta.
jāmadagnyena rāmeṇa mahāstrāṇi pramuñcatā। na me vyathābhavatkācittvaṃ tu me kiṃ kariṣyasi ॥5-166-4॥
When Rama, the son of Jamadagni, released his great weapons, I felt no pain at all; but what can you do to me?
kāmaṃ naitatpraśaṃsanti santo''tmabalasaṃstavam। vakṣyāmi tu tvāṃ santapto nihīna kulapāṃsana ॥5-166-5॥
The wise do not commend self-praise of one's own strength. However, in my distress, I must speak to you, who are a disgrace to your lineage.
sametaṃ pārthivaṃ kṣatraṃ kāśirājñaḥ svayaṃvare। nirjityaikarathenaiva yatkanyāstarasā hṛtāḥ ॥5-166-6॥
In the self-choice ceremony of the king of Kashi, all the assembled kings and warriors were defeated by a single chariot, and the daughters were forcibly taken away.
īdṛśānāṃ sahasrāṇi viśiṣṭānāmatho punaḥ। mayaikena nirastāni sasainyāni raṇājire ॥5-166-7॥
Thousands of such distinguished warriors, along with their armies, were defeated by me alone in the battlefield.
tvāṃ prāpya vairapuruṣaṃ kurūṇāmanayo mahān। upasthito vināśāya yatasva puruṣo bhava ॥5-166-8॥
Having encountered you, the enemy of the Kuru, a great misfortune has arisen, strive to be a man for the sake of destruction.
yudhyasva pārthaṃ samare yena vispardhase saha। drakṣyāmi tvāṃ vinirmuktam asmād yuddhāt sudurmate ॥5-166-9॥
Engage in the battle, O son of Pritha, against those you compete with. I shall witness you being liberated from this conflict, O one with a wicked mind.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya spoke.
tamuvāca tato rājā dhārtarāṣṭro mahāmanāḥ। māmavekṣasva gāṅgeya kāryaṃ hi mahadudyatam ॥5-166-10॥
Then the wise King Dhritarashtra addressed him, 'O son of Ganga, please consider me, as a significant task is indeed underway.'
cintyatām idam eva agre mama niḥśreyasaṃ param। ubhāv api bhavantau me mahatkarma kariṣyataḥ ॥5-166-11॥
Let this be considered first as my supreme ultimate good. Both of you will accomplish my great task.
bhūyaśca śrotumicchāmi pareṣāṃ rathasattamān। ye caivātirathāstatra tathaiva rathayūthapāḥ ॥5-166-12॥
I wish to hear once more about the best charioteers among others, those who are considered great charioteers there, as well as the leaders of the chariots.
balābalamamitrāṇāṃ śrotumicchāmi kaurava। prabhātāyāṃ rajanyāṃ vai idaṃ yuddhaṃ bhaviṣyati ॥5-166-13॥
O Kaurava, I wish to know the strengths and weaknesses of the enemies. This battle is indeed set to take place at dawn.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said:
ete rathāste saṅkhyātāstathaivātirathā nṛpa। ya cāpyardharathā rājanpāṇḍavānāmataḥ śṛṇu ॥5-166-14॥
O King, these chariots and those counted as great charioteers, as well as those who are half-charioteers, are of the Pandavas. Therefore, listen.
yadi kautūhalaṃ te'dya pāṇḍavānāṃ bale nṛpa। rathasaṅkhyāṃ mahābāho sahaibhirvasudhādhipaiḥ ॥5-166-15॥
If you are curious today, O king, about the strength of the Pandavas, O mighty-armed one, along with the number of chariots and the lords of the earth.
svayaṃ rājā rathodāraḥ pāṇḍavaḥ kuntinandanaḥ। agnivatsamare tāta cariṣyati na saṃśayaḥ ॥5-166-16॥
The king himself, the great charioteer, the Pandava, son of Kunti, will act like fire in battle, dear father, without a doubt.
bhīmasenastu rājendra ratho'ṣṭaguṇasaṁmitaḥ। nāgāyutabalo mānī tejasā na sa mānuṣaḥ ॥5-166-17॥
O King, Bhimasena's chariot is extraordinary, possessing the strength of ten thousand elephants. Proud and radiant, he is beyond human.
mādrīputrau tu rathinau dvāveva puruṣarṣabhau। aśvināviva rūpeṇa tejasā ca samanvitau ॥5-166-18॥
The sons of Madri, Nakula and Sahadeva, were two charioteers, exceptional among men, like the Ashvins in form and brilliance.
ete camūmukhagatāḥ smarantaḥ kleśamātmanaḥ। rudravatpracariṣyanti tatra me nāsti saṃśayaḥ ॥5-166-19॥
There is no doubt in my mind that these warriors, at the forefront of the army, will act like Rudra, remembering their own suffering.
sarva eva mahātmānaḥ śālaskandhā ivodgatāḥ। prādeśenādhikāḥ pumbhiranyaisthe ca pramāṇataḥ ॥5-166-20॥
All of them are truly great souls, standing tall like the trunks of trees, surpassing other men in stature and size.
siṃhasaṃhananāḥ sarve pāṇḍuputrā mahābalāḥ। caritabrahmacaryāśca sarve cātitapasvinaḥ ॥5-166-21॥
All the sons of Pandu are strong and mighty like lions, having practiced celibacy and being great ascetics.
hrīmantaḥ puruṣavyāghrā vyāghrā iva balotkaṭāḥ। jave prahāre saṃmarde sarva evātimānuṣāḥ ॥ sarve jitamahīpālā digjaye bharatarṣabha ॥5-166-22॥
O best of the Bharatas, these respected men are like tigers, mighty and superhuman in speed, attack, and battle. They are all conquerors of kings in their conquest of the directions.
na caiṣāṃ puruṣāḥ kecidayudhāni gadāḥ śarān। viṣahanti sadā kartumadhijyānyapi kaurava ॥ udyantuṃ vā gadāṃ gurvīṃ śarānvāpi prakarṣitum ॥5-166-23॥
O Kaurava, none of these men can always bear weapons like maces and arrows, nor can they string them, raise them, or even draw heavy maces and arrows.
jave lakṣyasya haraṇe bhojye pāṃsuvikarṣaṇe। bālairapi bhavantastaiḥ sarva eva viśeṣitāḥ ॥5-166-24॥
Even in activities like speed, taking away targets, eating, and dragging sand, you are distinguished by all those children.
te te sainyaṃ samāsādya vyāghrā iva balotkaṭāḥ। vidhvaṃsayiṣyanti raṇe mā sma taiḥ saha saṅgamaḥ ॥5-166-25॥
They, like mighty tigers, will attack and destroy the army in battle; do not engage with them.
ekaikaśaste saṅgrāme hanyuḥ sarvānmahīkṣitaḥ। pratyakṣaṃ tava rājendra rājasūye yathābhavat ॥5-166-26॥
One by one, they defeated all the kings in battle right before your eyes, O King, just as it happened during the Rājasūya sacrifice.
drauapadyāśca parikleśaṃ dyūte ca paruṣā giraḥ| te saṃsmarantaḥ saṅgrāme vicariṣyanti kālavat ॥5-166-27॥
Recalling the suffering of Draupadi and the harsh words spoken during the dice game, they will fight in the battle with the inevitability of time.
lohitākṣo guḍākeśo nārāyaṇasahāyavān। ubhayoḥ senayorvīra ratho nāstīha tādṛśaḥ ॥5-166-28॥
Arjuna, the red-eyed warrior with Narayana as his ally, stands unmatched in both armies; no chariot like his exists here.
na hi deveṣu vā pūrvaṃ dānaveṣūrageṣu vā। rākṣaseṣvatha yakṣeṣu nareṣu kuta eva tu ॥5-166-29॥
There was no one before among gods, demons, serpents, ogres, yakshas, or men.
bhūto'tha vā bhaviṣyo vā rathaḥ kaścinmayā śrutaḥ। samāyukto mahārāja yathā pārthasya dhīmataḥ ॥5-166-30॥
O great king, I have heard of a chariot, either from the past or the future, that is equipped like that of the wise Arjuna.
vāsudevaśca saṃyantā yoddhā caiva dhanañjayaḥ। gāṇḍīvaṃ ca dhanurdivyaṃ te cāśvā vātaraṃhasaḥ ॥5-166-31॥
Vasudeva was the charioteer and Dhananjaya the warrior, wielding the divine bow Gandiva, with horses that were as swift as the wind.
abhedyaṁ kavacaṁ divyamakṣayyau ca maheṣudhī। astragrāmaśca māhendro raudraḥ kaubera eva ca ॥5-166-32॥
The divine armor that cannot be penetrated, the inexhaustible great arrows, and the collection of weapons belonging to Indra, Rudra, and Kubera.
yāmyaś ca vāruṇaś caiva gadāś cogra-pradarśanāḥ। vajrādīni ca mukhyāni nānā-praharaṇāni vai ॥5-166-33॥
The maces of Yama and Varuna, fierce in display, along with thunderbolts and other principal weapons, are indeed various.
dānavānāṃ sahasrāṇi hiraṇyapuravāsinām। hatānyekarathenājau kastasya sadṛśo rathaḥ ॥5-166-34॥
Thousands of demons from Hiranyapura were slain by a single chariot in battle; who can match his chariot?
eṣa hanyāddhi saṁrambhī balavānsatyavikramaḥ। tava senāṁ mahābāhuḥ svāṁ caiva paripālayan ॥5-166-35॥
This mighty-armed warrior, truly powerful and impetuous, would indeed destroy your army while safeguarding his own.
ahaṁ cainaṁ pratyudiyāmācāryo vā dhanañjayam। na tṛtīyo'sti rājendra senayorubhayorapi ॥ ya enaṁ śaravarṣāṇi varṣantamudiyādrathī ॥5-166-36॥
I and this one would confront, either the teacher or Dhananjaya. There is no third person, O king, in both the armies, who would confront this warrior showering arrows.
jīmūta iva gharmānte mahāvātasamīritaḥ। samāyuktastu kaunteyo vāsudevasahāyavān ॥ taruṇaśca kṛtī caiva jīrṇāvāvāmubhāvapi ॥5-166-37॥
Like a cloud driven by strong winds at the end of summer, Arjuna, the son of Kunti, united with Krishna, the son of Vasudeva, is young and accomplished, while we both are indeed old.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
etacchrutvā tu bhīṣmasya rājñāṃ dadhvaṃsire tadā। kāñcanāṅgadinaḥ pīnā bhujāścandanarūṣitāḥ ॥5-166-38॥
Upon hearing this, the kings associated with Bhishma were deeply distressed. Their strong arms, adorned with golden armlets, were anointed with sandalwood paste.
manobhiḥ saha sāvegaiḥ saṃsmṛtya ca purātanam। sāmarthyaṃ pāṇḍaveyānāṃ yathāpratyakṣadarśanāt ॥5-166-39॥
With excitement in their minds, they recalled the ancient strength of the Pandavas as if they had seen it directly.
