Shloka 44
बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account
On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics
रक्षणार्थाय लोकस्य वधाय च सुरद्विषाम् । “मैंने ही इस भूतका चिन्तन किया था। यह असि नामधारी प्रबल आयुध है। इसे मैंने सम्पूर्ण जगतकी रक्षा तथा देवद्रोही असुरोंके वधके लिये प्रकट किया है || ४३ ई ।।
rakṣaṇārthāya lokasya vadhāya ca suradviṣām | tatastadrūpam utsṛjya babhau nistriṁśa eva saḥ ||
रक्षणार्थाय लोकस्य वधाय च सुरद्विषाम्। ततस्तद्रूपमुत्सृज्य बभौ निस्त्रिंश एव सः॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and violence are ethically framed as instruments of dharma: the weapon ‘Asi’ is justified not for aggression, but for loka-rakṣaṇa (protecting the world) and for restraining or destroying forces hostile to divine order (suradviṣ).
Bhīṣma narrates the manifestation of a formidable weapon called ‘Asi’, created for protecting the world and slaying enemies of the gods; afterward, it relinquishes a special form and is seen plainly as a sword (nistriṁśa).