Shloka 15
नैवं पूर्वे जनाश्नक्रुर्न करिष्यन्ति चापरे
naivaṁ pūrve janāḥ śakruḥ na kariṣyanti cāpare
Nārada said: “Never did the people of former times accomplish such a deed, nor will those of later times do so.” The statement underscores the unprecedented, morally weighty nature of the act being described, marking it as an extreme departure from accepted conduct even amid war.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a certain wartime action as so extreme that it lies outside the moral imagination of both past and future generations. It functions as an ethical verdict: even in conflict, some deeds are seen as uniquely blameworthy or unprecedented, highlighting the Mahābhārata’s concern with limits of conduct (dharma) under pressure.
Nārada, speaking as an authoritative sage, comments on an event being recounted and characterizes it as unparalleled—something earlier people did not manage (or did not do) and later people will not do. The line heightens the gravity of the episode and signals that the narrative is entering a moment of exceptional moral and historical significance.