05.194
Sanjaya spoke:
In the morning, your son once again asked the grandfather amidst the entire army.
O son of Ganga, this excellent army of the Pandavas is filled with numerous men, elephants, horses, and great chariots.
The mighty warriors, including Bhima and Arjuna, who were great archers and as powerful as the protectors of the world, were led by Dhrishtadyumna.
The army, vast and unyielding like a swelling ocean, was unassailable and unstoppable, remaining unshaken even by the gods in the great battle.
O son of Ganga, by what time will you, O great warrior, destroy either the teacher or the great archer Kripa, or the very strong one?
Karna or the battle-boaster, or Drona's son, the best among the twice-born, all of you are indeed knowers of divine weapons and are my strength.
O mighty-armed one, I have a great curiosity to know this. It is always in my heart, and you should tell me about it.
Bhishma said:
O esteemed leader of the Kurus, it is fitting for you, O ruler of the earth, to inquire about the strengths and weaknesses of both your own forces and those of the adversaries.
O king, listen to my supreme power in battle, which is the strength of weapons and arms, O mighty-armed one.
A straightforward person must engage in battle with honesty, while a deceitful person uses deceitful means. This is the determination of duty.
O mighty-armed one, I would destroy the army of the Pandavas day by day, fulfilling my morning duties.
O great one, I consider the share of ten thousand warriors equivalent to the share of one thousand charioteers.
With this strategy, I am ever-ready and vigilant, and I shall be able to destroy the mighty army in due course, O Bharata.
If you, O Bharata, were to release your great weapons while standing in battle, I could slay hundreds of thousands within a month.
Sanjaya said:
Upon hearing Bhishma's words, King Duryodhana then asked King Drona, the best among the Angirasa lineage, for guidance.
The teacher, Drona, replied with a smile, "By whom and when will the soldiers of the Pandu's son be killed?"
I am aged and slow, O best of the Kurus, but I would still burn the Pandavas' army with my fiery weapon.
Just as Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, achieved his goals in a month, this is my firm belief. This is my greatest power and my ultimate strength.
Kṛpa, the son of Śāradvata, declared that it would take two months. However, Droṇa's son promised to destroy the forces in ten nights, while Karṇa, known for his great skill with weapons, promised to do it in five nights.
Upon hearing the words of the charioteer's son, the son of the ocean laughed loudly and then spoke these words.
In battle, Arjuna, equipped with arrows, sword, and bow, accompanied by Vasudeva, rises on his chariot as the infallible one.
O son of Radha, you meet and thus think. It is indeed possible for you to speak again as you wish.
