Shloka 11
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 130: Kuntī’s Instruction on Rājadharma and Daṇḍanīti
अदृश्यन्तोद्यतान्येव सर्वप्रहरणानि च । नानाबाहुषु कृष्णस्य दीप्यमानानि सर्वश:
adṛśyantodyatāny eva sarvapraharaṇāni ca | nānābāhuṣu kṛṣṇasya dīpyamānāni sarvaśaḥ || śaṅkhaṃ cakraṃ gadāṃ śaktiṃ śārṅgadhanur halaṃ tathā | nandaka-nāmakaṃ khaḍgaṃ—ete ūrdhvam udyatāḥ sarvāyudhāni śrīkṛṣṇasya bahuṣu bāhuṣu dīpyamānāni dṛśyante sma ||
Vaiśampāyana said: All the weapons, already raised aloft, were seen blazing on every side upon Kṛṣṇa’s many arms—conch, discus, mace, spear, the Śārṅga bow, the plough, and the sword named Nandaka. The scene proclaims not mere martial power but the awe of divine protection: force is present, yet it stands as a warning and a safeguard for dharma rather than as reckless violence.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames divine power as aligned with dharma: the display of irresistible weaponry is not glorification of aggression but an ethical warning—dharma is protected, and adharma is checked by a higher order.
Vaiśampāyana describes a vision of Kṛṣṇa with many arms, each bearing radiant weapons (conch, discus, mace, spear, Śārṅga bow, plough, and Nandaka sword), emphasizing a theophanic display meant to inspire awe and restraint in the unfolding conflict.