Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 90
Varuṇābhiṣeka–Agni-anveṣaṇa–Kaubera-tīrtha
Varuṇa’s Consecration; Search for Agni; Kaubera Sacred Site
तान् निजघ्नुरतिक्रम्य कुमारानुचरा मृथे । स चैव भगवान ब्रुद्धो दैत्येन्द्रस्य सुतं तदा
tān nijaghnur atikramya kumārānucarā mṛthe | sa caiva bhagavān bruddho daityendrasya sutaṃ tadā
Vaiśampāyana nói: Giữa trận mạc, họ vượt qua đám chiến binh trẻ rồi đánh gục những kẻ tùy tùng ấy. Và đúng lúc đó, bậc tôn túc Br̥ddha (Kṛpa) cũng hạ luôn con trai của chúa tể Daitya.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war rapidly erodes ordinary moral boundaries: not only principal fighters but also youthful warriors and their attendants are cut down, while even revered elders act with lethal decisiveness. It invites reflection on the ethical gravity of battle and the harsh demands of kṣatriya conduct once war is joined.
During the fighting, combatants push past the young warriors and kill their followers/attendants. Simultaneously, the venerable Br̥ddha—understood here as Kṛpa—strikes down a figure described as the son of a Daitya-lord, marking another decisive kill amid the chaos of the battlefield.