Shloka 16
ऋषी ऊचतुः नानाशस्त्रविद: पूर्वे येडप्यतीता महारथा: । नैतदस्त्रं मनुष्येषु तैः प्रयुक्ते कथंचन । किमिदं साहसं वीरी कृतवन्तौ महात्ययम्,उन दोनों ऋषियोंने उन दोनों वीरोंसे कहा--“वीरो! पूर्वकालमें भी जो बहुत-से महारथी हो चुके हैं, वे नाना प्रकारके शस्त्रोंके जानकार थे, परंतु उन्होंने किसी प्रकार भी मनुष्योंपर इस अस्त्रका प्रयोग नहीं किया था। तुम दोनोंने यह महान् विनाशकारी दुःसाहस क्यों किया है?
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.