Shloka 7
स वरैश्छन्दितस्तेन नूपो वचनमत्रवीत् । सहस्रबाहुर्भूयां वै चमूमध्ये गृहेडन्यथा
sa varaiś chanditas tena nūpo vacanam abravīt | sahasrabāhur bhūyāṃ vai camūmadhye gṛhe ’nyathā ||
Bhishma berkata: Didorong oleh resi itu supaya memilih anugerah, raja menjawab, “Biarlah beta menjadi yang berseribu lengan dalam peperangan, di tengah-tengah bala tentera; tetapi di rumah biarlah beta tetap seperti biasa (hanya dua lengan). Biarlah semua askar di medan laga menyaksikan seribu lengan beta.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power should be bounded by dharma: extraordinary force may be sought for protecting and winning in righteous battle, but personal life should remain governed by restraint and normal ethical limits.
A sage invites the king to ask for boons. The king requests a miraculous form—thousand arms visible to the army in battle—while remaining ordinary at home, distinguishing public martial duty from private conduct.