Shloka 17
ततोअब्रवीद् वासुदेव: फाल्गुनं पुरुषर्षभम् । दिव्यास्त्रेणैव निर्भिद्य पातयस्व महाबल
tato 'bravīd vāsudevaḥ phālgunaṁ puruṣarṣabham | divyāstreṇaiva nirbhidya pātayasva mahābalam ||
Kemudian Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) berkata kepada Phālguna, lembu jantan antara manusia (Arjuna): “Wahai pahlawan yang maha perkasa, tikamlah dia dengan senjata ilahi, lalu jatuhkan dia.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a violent duty like war, action should be governed by discipline and rightful means. Kṛṣṇa’s counsel emphasizes controlled, purposeful force—using an appropriate (divine) astra—so the warrior’s duty is executed with restraint and strategic clarity rather than impulsive brutality.
Sañjaya reports that Kṛṣṇa addresses Arjuna and urges him to bring down the mighty opponent (contextually Karṇa) by first piercing him with a divine weapon. It is a tactical instruction within the climactic Karṇa-Parva battle sequence.