Shloka 15
तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
गायना नर्तकाश्नैव प्लवका वादकास्तथा । कथका योधकाश्चैव राजन् नाहहन्ति केतनम्
gāyanā nartakāś caiva plavakā vādakās tathā | kathakā yodhakāś caiva rājan nāhanti ketanam ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Tâu Đại vương, những kẻ ca hát và múa nhảy, nhào lộn và tấu nhạc, người kể chuyện và kẻ huấn luyện chiến binh—đều không được xem là xứng đáng để thỉnh mời.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores ethical restraint in conflict: certain classes of people associated with art, entertainment, narration, and training are not to be treated as targets, and symbolic emblems like the banner (ketana) are not to be attacked as though they were legitimate objects of violence.
Bhīṣma is instructing the king on norms of proper conduct and restraint, listing groups such as singers, dancers, acrobats, musicians, and storytellers, and stating that they do not strike down (or are not to be involved in striking down) the army’s banner—implying boundaries on who participates in violence and what may be attacked.