Shloka 17
यजमानांस्तु तान् दृष्टवा सर्वान् दीक्षानुकर्शितान् । हन्तुमैच्छन्त शैलाभा: खलिनो नाम दानवा:
yajamānāṁs tu tān dṛṣṭvā sarvān dīkṣānukarśitān | hantum aicchanta śailābhāḥ khalino nāma dānavāḥ ||
ദീക്ഷാനിയമങ്ങളാൽ ക്ഷീണിച്ചിരുന്ന ആ യജമാനന്മാരെയെല്ലാം കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, പർവ്വതസമമായ ദേഹമുള്ള ‘ഖലിന്’ എന്ന ദാനവർ അവരെ വധിക്കുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Harming those engaged in yajña and weakened by dīkṣā is portrayed as adharma; sacred observance deserves protection, and aggression against it becomes a moral fault that precipitates justified resistance and wider conflict.
The Dānavas called Khalin see the sacrificers (devas/ritual performers) grown thin from consecration vows and decide to kill them, setting the stage for a clash between opposing forces over the integrity of the sacrifice.