Shloka 15
नृशंस-लक्षणनिर्णयः | Determining the Marks of Cruel Conduct
Nṛśaṃsa
निहताश्नैव भग्नाक्ष पाण्डवेन यशस्विना । चरता बलमास्थाय पाकशासनिना मृथधे
nihatāś caiva bhagnāś ca pāṇḍavena yaśasvinā | caratā balam āsthāya pākaśāsaninā yudhi ||
Bhishma berkata: “Dalam pertempuran itu, Arjuna putra Pandu yang termasyhur—berkeliling di medan laga dengan bersandar penuh pada kekuatannya sendiri, laksana Indra sang penghukum Pāka—membunuh bala-bala itu, memecahkannya, dan memukulnya hingga lari tunggang-langgang.”
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya valor aligned with duty: decisive action, steadiness, and strategic mobility in battle, framed through a dharmic ideal of protecting order—symbolized by comparing Arjuna’s effectiveness to Indra’s.
Bhishma describes Arjuna’s battlefield performance: moving across the field, relying on his strength, he kills many and breaks the opposing forces, causing them to scatter—his prowess likened to Indra (Pākaśāsani).