Shloka 55
एतस्य हि महाबाहो व्रतमेतत् समाहितम् । यो ममाड़े व्रणं कुर्याच्छोणितं वापि दर्शयेत् । अन्यत्र संग्रामगतान्न स जीवेत् कथठ्चन,“महाबाहो! बृहन्नलाका यह निश्चित व्रत है कि जो युद्धभूमिके सिवा अन्य किसी स्थानमें मेरे शरीरमें घाव कर दे या रक्त बहता दिखा दे, वह किसी प्रकार जीवित न रहने पाये
etasyā hi mahābāho vratam etat samāhitam | yo mamāṅge vraṇaṃ kuryāc choṇitaṃ vāpi darśayet | anyatra saṅgrāmagatān na sa jīvet kathaṃcana ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Mighty-armed one, this is the firm vow that has been undertaken: whoever, anywhere other than on the field of battle, wounds my body or causes blood to be seen—such a person shall not, in any way, be allowed to live.” The statement frames a strict boundary between violence sanctioned by warfare and violence committed outside it, presenting the latter as an intolerable breach of conduct.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse draws a sharp ethical line: violence may be tolerated within the sanctioned sphere of battle, but harming someone and drawing blood outside that context is treated as a grave transgression, warranting uncompromising consequences. It emphasizes restraint and the regulation of force by dharma.
Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a declaration about Bṛhannalā’s fixed vow: if anyone wounds her body or makes her blood visible anywhere other than the battlefield, that person will not be permitted to survive. The statement heightens the seriousness of her resolve and frames the coming events in terms of strict rules about where violence is permissible.