Shloka 9
अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit
त॑ युध्यमान राजान क्षत्रधर्मे व्यवस्थितम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | taṁ yudhyamānaṁ rājānaṁ kṣatradharme vyavasthitam arjunenaivam uktaḥ— “vīra! na te yuddhena kaścid arthaḥ. mahārāja-yudhiṣṭhirasya eṣā ājñā— na rājñāṁ vadhaṁ kariṣyāmi. tasmād yuddhān nivartasva, yathā adya tava parājayo na bhavet.”
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Als Arjuna jenen König sah, standhaft im Dharma der Kṣatriyas und zum Kampf entschlossen, sprach er zu ihm: „Held, in dieser Schlacht liegt kein Gewinn für dich. König Yudhiṣṭhira hat mir geboten, keine Könige zu töten. So zieh dich vom Kampf zurück, damit dich heute keine Niederlage trifft.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within kṣatriya-dharma, violence is bounded by higher ethical constraints: Arjuna restrains himself out of obedience to Yudhiṣṭhira’s injunction, showing that rightful command and dharma can limit the pursuit of victory.
A king confronts Arjuna in battle. Arjuna warns him that fighting is futile because Arjuna has been ordered by Yudhiṣṭhira not to kill kings; he urges the opponent to withdraw to avoid defeat.