Shloka 15
Śiśupāla-vadha in the Rājasūya-sabhā (शिशुपालवधः — राजसूयसभायाम्)
नातिचक्राम भीष्मस्य स हि वाक्यमरिंदम: । समुदवृत्तो घनापाये वेलामिव महोदधि:
nāticakrāma bhīṣmasya sa hi vākyam ariṃdamaḥ | samudavṛtto ghanāpāye velām iva mahodadhiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The foe-subduer did not overstep Bhīṣma’s command; for even when the sea swells at the end of the rainy season, the great ocean does not pass beyond its shoreline. The simile underscores disciplined restraint—power held within the bounds of rightful authority.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even great strength should remain within rightful boundaries: a powerful person should not violate the command of a legitimate elder/authority, just as the ocean, though swollen, does not cross its shore.
Vaiśampāyana describes how the hero addressed as 'ariṃdama' refrains from disobeying Bhīṣma’s instruction; the restraint is illustrated through the image of the ocean staying within its coastline despite seasonal swelling.