Shloka 22
Śiva Grants the Pāśupata Astra (Pāśupata-Śastra Upadeśa) | शिवेन पाशुपतास्त्रदानम्
अंशाश्च क्षितिसम्प्राप्ता देवदानवरक्षसाम्,'शत्रुओंका संहार करनेवाले कुन्तीकुमार! देवताओं, दानवों तथा राक्षसोंके जो अंश पृथ्वीपर उत्पन्न हुए हैं, वे युद्धमें तुम्हारे द्वारा मारे जाकर अपने कर्मफलके अनुसार यथोचित गति प्राप्त करेंगे
aṃśāś ca kṣitisamprāptā devadānavarakṣasām | śatrūṇāṃ saṃhārakaraṇe kuntīkumāra! devatānāṃ dānavānāṃ tathā rakṣasāṃ ye 'ṃśāḥ pṛthivyāṃ utpannāḥ, te yuddhe tvayā hatvā svakarmaphalānusāreṇa yathocitaṃ gatiṃ prāpsyanti ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai putera Kuntī, pemusnah musuh—bahagian jelmaan para dewa, Dānava dan Rākṣasa yang telah turun lahir di bumi ini, apabila gugur oleh tanganmu dalam peperangan, akan mencapai takdir yang layak bagi mereka, menurut buah perbuatan (karma) masing-masing.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links battlefield death to karma and rightful destiny: even when cosmic beings incarnate on earth, their end is governed by their own deeds, and the warrior’s role is framed as an instrument through which appropriate outcomes (gati) unfold rather than as mere personal vengeance.
Vaiśampāyana addresses a son of Kuntī (a Pāṇḍava), explaining that many beings on earth are incarnate portions of devas, dānavas, and rākṣasas; when the hero slays them in war, they will attain the fitting posthumous states according to their karmic results.