I am seeing differing versions of a eulogy to Bhishma cited from the Mahabharata literature.
One version is:
Kshatriya satyawadi cha
Tapasvi neeyata vrata
Ripushmati dayavanastha
Tsamat bhism prishaspithah
The other version is the following,
Kshatriya satyavaadi cha
Tapasvi neeyata vrata
Ripushmati dayavanascha
Tasmat bheeshmo Vrishah Smritah
There is not much difference between the first three lines of the two differing versions, but the last lines seems to convey (from my limited knowledge of Sanskrit) markedly different meanings.
I'm not sure which portion of Mahabharata the passage is from, but if it is from the earlier chapters where Bhishma is introduced as a young Kuru prince, then the use of 'pithah' doesn't make sense.
I'd appreciate it if someone can quote the exact verse from an authentic source of Mahabharata and also explain the entire meaning of the passage.
बरह्मण्यः सत्यवादी च तपस्वी नियतव्रतः रिपुष्व अपि दयावांश च तस्मात कर्णॊ वृषा समृपः