Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15
भीष्मस्योत्तरायणप्रतीक्षा तथा युधिष्ठिरागमनम् | Bhīṣma’s uttarāyaṇa moment and Yudhiṣṭhira’s arrival
शार््डचक्रायुध: खड्गी सर्वनागरिपुध्वज: । उत्तमेन स शीलेन दमेन च शमेन च
śārṅgacakrāyudhaḥ khaḍgī sarvanāgaripudhvajāḥ | uttamena sa śīlena damena ca śamena ca ||
Īśvara said: “He bears the Śārṅga bow and the Sudarśana discus as his weapons, and he is a swordsman as well. Upon his banner shines Garuḍa, the foe of all serpents. Endowed with the highest character, self-restraint (dama), and inner tranquility (śama), he is adorned with noble virtues and ever possesses divine and wondrous weapons.”
ईश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True divine power is inseparable from virtue: the passage pairs martial insignia (bow, discus, sword, banner) with ethical excellences—śīla (good conduct), dama (sense-restraint), and śama (mental tranquility)—implying that rightful authority is grounded in inner discipline.
Īśvara describes a supreme divine figure through recognizable emblems (Śārṅga, Sudarśana, Garuḍa-banner) and through moral qualities, presenting both iconographic identifiers and the ethical profile that legitimizes his sovereignty.