Shloka 12

Devanagari script

निर्मुक्तानां पन्नगानां सरूपा दृष्टवा शक्तीहेंमचित्रा निकृत्ता: । प्रादुश्चक्रे दिव्यमस्त्रं महात्मा क्रोधाविष्टो हैहयेशप्रमाथी

Transliteration

nirmuktānāṁ pannagānāṁ sarūpā dṛṣṭvā śaktī hema-citrā nikṛttāḥ | prāduścakre divyam astraṁ mahātmā krodhāviṣṭo haihayeśa-pramāthī ||

Translation

Wika ni Bhishma: “Nang makita niya ang mga naputol na śakti—ginayakan ng ginto at kumikislap sa sari-saring anyo—na nakahandusay na parang mga ahas na nag-iwan ng balat, ang dakilang mandirigma, ang dumurog sa panginoon ng Haihaya, ay nilamon ng poot at naglabas ng isang banal na sandata.”

Word by Word

निर्मुक्तानाम्of the released (set free)

पन्नगानाम्of the serpents

सरूपाःsimilar in form / of like appearance

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

शक्तीःspears / javelins

हेमचित्राःgold-adorned / variegated with gold

निकृत्ताःcut off / severed

प्रादुश्चक्रेmanifested / brought forth

दिव्यम्divine

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

महात्माthe great-souled one

क्रोधाविष्टःpossessed by anger

हैहयेशप्रमाथीthe crusher of the lord of the Haihayas

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

śakti (spear/javelin)

divya astra (divine weapon)

pannaga (serpents)

Haihaya lord (haihayeśa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger can unleash formidable, even ‘divine’ force in warfare, but implicitly warns that power arising from wrath is ethically dangerous; a dharmic warrior must strive to keep judgment and restraint even amid provocation.

What is happening in the narrative?

After seeing severed, gold-decorated spears strewn about—likened to snakes’ shed skins—the great warrior (described as a crusher of the Haihaya lord) becomes enraged and brings forth a celestial weapon, escalating the conflict.