Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 11
ततो लोका: पुनः प्राप्ता: सुरैः शान्तभयैर्न॒प । अथैनमन्रुवन् देवा भूमिष्ठानसुरान् जहि
tato lokāḥ punaḥ prāptāḥ suraiḥ śāntabhayair nṛpa | athainam abruvan devā bhūmiṣṭhān asurān jahi ||
Wika ni Bhishma: “Pagkaraan, O hari, nang mapawi ang takot ng mga diyos, sila’y nagbalik sa kani-kanilang daigdig. Pagkatapos nito, muling nagsalita ang mga diyos sa kanya: ‘Ngayon, lipulin mo rin ang mga Asura na nananatiling naninirahan sa lupa.’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames force as legitimate only when aligned with restoring cosmic and social order: once fear is removed and stability returns, the remaining source of harm is to be addressed. It implies a dharmic duty of protection—eliminating persistent threats so that peace is not merely temporary.
After the gods’ fear has been pacified, they return to their own realms. Then they again approach the addressed figure (identified in the accompanying prose as Agastya) and urge him to destroy the Asuras who are still residing on earth.