Shloka 163
Virāṭa Rescued from Suśarmā; Night Battle and Royal Gratitude (विराटमोक्षणं सुशर्मवधाभिमुखं च)
कश्मलं चाविशद् घोर निर्मर्यादमवर्तत । युद्ध करनेवाले वीरोंको मूर्च्छा आने लगी। उनमें मर्यादाशून्य भयंकर युद्ध छिड़ गया
kaśmalaṁ cāviśad ghoraṁ nirmaryādam avartata |
Then a dreadful moral confusion seized them, and the fighting turned lawless. The warriors engaged in battle began to faint, and a terrifying conflict broke out in which the accepted bounds of conduct were no longer observed.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When kaśmala—moral and mental confusion—overtakes fighters, dharma-based restraints collapse and violence becomes nirmaryāda (lawless). The verse highlights how inner disorder can quickly turn conflict into unethical warfare.
Vaiśampāyana describes a moment in the battle where fear and confusion spread; warriors begin to swoon, and the fighting escalates into a terrifying, boundary-breaking clash in which normal rules of conduct are no longer maintained.