Shloka 283
Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)
दधीचास्थीनि देहीति तैर्वधिष्यामहे रिपून् “अतः सुरश्रेष्ठठण! तुमलोग जाकर मुनिवर दधीचसे याचना करो कि आप अपनी हड्डियाँ हमें दे दें। हम उन्हींके द्वारा अपने शत्रुओंका वध करेंगे”
dadhīcāsthīni dehīti tair vadhiṣyāmahe ripūn
Vaiśampāyana said: “Ask for the bones of the sage Dadhīca—‘Give us your bones.’ With those very bones we shall strike down our enemies.” The line evokes the ethic of self-sacrifice for the protection of the gods and the restoration of cosmic order, where even a saint’s body becomes an instrument for ending a destructive threat.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights tyāga (self-giving) in service of dharma: when a grave threat endangers the moral and cosmic order, extraordinary resources—even the bodily remains of a saint—may be offered or requested for the greater good, emphasizing responsibility, protection, and the primacy of dharma over personal attachment.
A plan is stated to approach the sage Dadhīca and request his bones, which are to be used as a powerful means to destroy enemies. The statement is framed as reported speech by Vaiśampāyana, indicating counsel or instruction within the larger war-time narrative.