Shloka 11
जनकस्य युद्धोपदेशः — Janaka’s Instruction on Steadfast Battle-Conduct
सर्वे स्वर्गतिमिच्छन्ति सुयुद्धेनातिमन्यव: । क्षोभयेयुरनीकानि सागरं मकरा यथा
sarve svargatim icchanti suyuddhenātimanyavaḥ | kṣobhayeyur anīkāni sāgaraṃ makarā yathā ||
Semua ksatria mulia mendambakan jalan ke surga melalui perang yang benar. Karena itu, laksana makara yang mengaduk dan menggelisahkan samudra, mereka menerjang susunan bala musuh dan mengguncang pasukan—didorong amarah dan dharma keprajuritan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a kshatriya ideal: many warriors seek heavenly merit through courageous, 'proper' combat, and this aspiration—mixed with pride and anger—drives them to shake enemy formations. It implicitly raises an ethical tension between dharmic duty in war and the passions that fuel violence.
Bhishma is describing the mindset and battlefield effect of elite kshatriyas: intent on winning heavenly reward through valor, they charge into opposing armies and create upheaval, compared to makaras stirring the ocean.