Shloka 21
उत्पातदर्शनम् — Portents and Kāla among the Vṛṣṇis
भूरिश्रवाश्छिन्नबाहुर्युद्धे प्रायगतस्त्वया । वधेन सुनृशंसेन कथं वीरेण पातित:,“अरे! युद्धमें भूरिश्रवाकी बाँह कट गयी थी और वे मरणान्त उपवासका निश्चय करके पृथ्वीपर बैठ गये थे, उस अवस्थामें तूने वीर कहलाकर भी उनकी क्रूरतापूर्ण हत्या क्यों की?”
bhūriśravāś chinnabāhur yuddhe prāyagatas tvayā | vadhena sunṛśaṃsena kathaṃ vīreṇa pātitaḥ ||
भूरिश्रवाश्छिन्नबाहुर्युद्धे प्रायगतस्त्वया। वधेन सुनृशंसेन कथं वीरेण पातितः॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical boundary in warfare: even amid conflict, a warrior’s conduct is judged by restraint and fairness. Killing an incapacitated opponent who has withdrawn from combat and undertaken a fast unto death is portrayed as a lapse from heroic dharma, emphasizing accountability beyond mere victory.
Vaiśampāyana recalls a charged incident from the war: Bhūriśravas, after losing an arm, sits down and resolves to die by fasting. The speaker questions how he could be slain in that state, framing the act as cruel and morally troubling even if done by someone reputed to be a hero.