Shloka 15
Sauptika-parva Adhyāya 13 — Bhīmasena’s Pursuit of Drauṇi and the Release of a Divine Astra
कृष्णद्वैपायनं व्यासमासीनमृषिभि: सह । तं॑ चैव क्रूरकर्माणं घृताक्तं कुशचीरिणम्
kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṃ vyāsam āsīnam ṛṣibhiḥ saha | taṃ caiva krūrakarmāṇaṃ ghṛtāktaṃ kuśacīriṇam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: They saw Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana Vyāsa seated with the sages; and they also beheld that doer of cruel deeds, smeared with ghee and clad in a garment of kuśa-grass—an image of grim austerity and ominous resolve in the aftermath of slaughter.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse juxtaposes revered spiritual authority (Vyāsa among ṛṣis) with the presence of a ‘cruel-doer’ marked by ritual austerity (ghee-anointed, kuśa-clad). It highlights the Mahābhārata’s ethical tension: ritual or ascetic appearance does not automatically sanctify violent intent; dharma must be judged by conduct and consequence, especially after wartime atrocities.
In the Sauptika Parva’s aftermath of the night massacre, the narration describes a scene where Vyāsa is seated with sages, and alongside is seen a figure characterized as cruel in action, prepared in a stark ritual/austere manner—smeared with ghee and wearing kuśa-grass—signaling a severe, ominous moment within the post-battle narrative.