Shloka 16
Chapter 14: Divyāstra-Prayoga and Ṛṣi Intervention (दिव्यास्त्रप्रयोगः ऋषिसमागमश्च)
ऋषी ऊचतुः नानाशस्त्रविद: पूर्वे येडप्यतीता महारथा: । नैतदस्त्रं मनुष्येषु तैः प्रयुक्ते कथंचन । किमिदं साहसं वीरी कृतवन्तौ महात्ययम्
ṛṣī ūcatuḥ—nānā-śastra-vidaḥ pūrve ye ’py atītā mahā-rathāḥ | na etad astraṃ manuṣyeṣu taiḥ prayukte kathaṃcana | kim idaṃ sāhasaṃ vīrau kṛtavantau mahātyayam ||
The two sages said: “O heroes, even in former times many great chariot-warriors lived—masters of weapons of every kind—yet they never, in any circumstance, employed this missile against human beings. Why have you two committed this reckless act, bringing about a great and ruinous calamity?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, dharma requires restraint: certain devastating astras are not to be used against human beings. Mastery of weapons is not a license for indiscriminate destruction; reckless use becomes a moral transgression bringing great calamity.
Two sages confront two warriors and condemn their action: although earlier great fighters knew many weapons, they did not deploy this particular astra on humans. The sages question why the warriors have committed such a ruinous, reckless deed.