Shloka 15
Parīkṣit Confronts Kali: Dharma (Bull) and Bhūmi (Cow) at the Dawn of Kali-yuga
अनाग:स्विह भूतेषु य आगस्कृन्निरङ्कुश: । आहर्तास्मि भुजं साक्षादमर्त्यस्यापि साङ्गदम् ॥ १५ ॥
anāgaḥsv iha bhūteṣu ya āgas-kṛn niraṅkuśaḥ āhartāsmi bhujaṁ sākṣād amartyasyāpi sāṅgadam
যে উদ্ধত ব্যক্তি নিরপরাধ জীবের প্রতি অত্যাচার করে, আমি তার বাহু উৎপাটন করব, এমনকি যদি সে অলংকারে ভূষিত কোনো দেবতাও হয়।
The denizens of the heavenly kingdom are called amara, or deathless, due to their possessing a long span of life, far greater than that of the human beings. For a human being, who has only a maximum one-hundred-year duration of life, a span of life spreading over millions of years is certainly considered to be deathless. For example, from the Bhagavad-gītā we learn that on the Brahmaloka planet the duration of one day is calculated to be 4,300,000 × 1,000 solar years. Similarly, in other heavenly planets one day is calculated to be six months of this planet, and the inhabitants get a life of ten million of their years. Therefore, in all higher planets, since the span of life is far greater than that of the human being, the denizens are called deathless by imagination, although actually no one within the material universe is deathless.
FAQs
It declares that one who harms living beings without restraint deserves immediate punishment—King Parīkṣit vows to cut off the offender’s arm, even if the offender is extraordinarily powerful.
In the narrative, Parīkṣit is confronting adharma appearing in his kingdom; as a righteous ruler he must protect the innocent and stop irreligion from spreading, especially at the onset of Kali-yuga.
The verse emphasizes protecting the innocent and refusing to tolerate cruelty—apply it by supporting non-violence, ethical leadership, and firm boundaries against abuse and exploitation.