Shloka 4
धृष्टद्युम्नस्य द्रोणाभिमुख्यं तथा सात्यकि-कर्ण-समागमः
Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s advance toward Droṇa and the Sātyaki–Karṇa confrontation
(स विबाहुर्महाराज एकपक्ष इवाण्डज: । एकचक्रो रथो यद्धद् धरणीमास्थितो नृपः । उवाच पाण्डवं चैव सर्वक्षत्रस्थ शृण्वतः ।।) महाराज! वे राजा भूरिश्रवा एक बाँहसे रहित हो एक पाँखके पक्षी और एक पहियेके रथकी भाँति पृथ्वीपर खड़े हो सम्पूर्ण क्षत्रियोंके सुनते हुए पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनसे बोले। भूरिश्रवा उवाच नृशंसं बत कौन्तेय कर्मेदे कृतवानसि । अपश्यतो विषक्तस्य यन्मे बाहुमचिच्छिद:,भूरिश्रवा बोले--कुन्तीकुमार! तुमने यह बड़ा कठोर कर्म किया है; क्योंकि मैं तुम्हें देख नहीं रहा था और दूसरेसे युद्ध करनेमें लगा हुआ था, उस दशामें तुमने मेरी बाँह काट दी है
bhūriśravā uvāca |
nṛśaṃsaṃ bata kaunteya karmedaṃ kṛtavān asi |
apaśyato viṣaktasya yan me bāhum acicchidaḥ ||
Bhūrishravā said: “Alas, O son of Kuntī, you have done a cruel deed. For while I was not looking and was engaged in combat with another, you cut off my arm.”
भूरिश्रवा उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical tension in war: even in a righteous cause, actions perceived as taking advantage of an opponent’s inattention are condemned as nṛśaṃsa (cruel), raising questions about fairness and kṣatriya-dharma in combat.
After being wounded (his arm cut), Bhūrishravā addresses Arjuna directly, accusing him of an unfair strike—done while Bhūrishravā was not watching and was engaged with another opponent—thus publicly reproaching Arjuna’s conduct on the battlefield.