Shloka 48
अवेक्षमाणत्त्वां मां च न्यस्तास्त्रश्नाहवे हतः । न त्वेनं युध्यमानं वै हन्यादपि शतक्रतु:,उन्होंने आपको और मुझको देखकर युद्धमें हथियार डाल दिया और मारे गये। यदि वे युद्ध करते होते तो साक्षात् इन्द्र भी उन्हें मार नहीं सकते थे
arjuna uvāca | avekṣamāṇas tvāṁ māṁ ca nyastāstraḥ sa nāhave hataḥ | na tv enaṁ yudhyamānaṁ vai hanyād api śatakratuḥ ||
Arjuna sprach: „Als er dich und mich sah, legte er seine Waffen nieder und wurde in der Schlacht erschlagen. Hätte er weitergekämpft, hätte ihn nicht einmal Śatakratu (Indra) töten können.“
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a key tension in yuddha-dharma: a warrior who lays down arms becomes vulnerable, and killing such a person raises ethical questions. Arjuna underscores that the slain man’s death was not due to lack of strength but due to disarmament—implying moral gravity in exploiting that moment.
Arjuna describes a warrior who, upon seeing Arjuna and his companion, ceased fighting and set aside his weapons; in that defenseless state he was killed. Arjuna then emphasizes the warrior’s formidable power by stating that if he had continued to fight, even Indra could not have slain him.