क्षत्रियकर्त्तव्यानिThe duties of the kṣatriya
Verse 124
न हन्यान्मूर्च्छितान् युद्धे त्यक्तशस्त्रान् पराङ्मुखान् । वलानीतान् रिपून् देवि रिपुदारशिशूनपि ॥ १२४ ॥
na hanyānmūrcchitān yuddhē tyaktaśastrān parāṅmukhān | valānītān ripūn dēvi ripudāraśiśūnapi || 124 ||
Translation
He should not kill in battle those who have fainted, who have thrown down their arms, who have turned their backs, enemies brought in by force, Devī, nor the wives and children of enemies.
Word by word
- na
- not
- hanyān
- (hanyāt) he should kill
- mūrcchitān
- those who have fainted
- yuddhē
- in battle
- tyakta
- who have thrown down
- śastrān
- their arms
- parāṅmukhān
- who have turned their backs
- vala
- (bala) by force
- ānītān
- brought in
- ripūn
- enemies
- dēvi
- O Devī
- ripu
- of enemies
- dāra
- the wives
- śiśūn
- (śiśūn) and children
- api
- nor
Meaning
The rules of just war, which the Indian epics also give: no killing of the unconscious, the disarmed, those in flight, captives, or the families of enemies. "Balānīta", brought by force, means taken prisoner; the text spells it with v.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
See the commentary on verse 123.