Shloka 32

अर्जुनस्य दिग्विजयारम्भः — Arjuna Initiates the Northern Campaign and Secures Bhagadattta’s Tribute

Devanagari script

क्लान्त:ः शत्रुर्न कौन्तेय लभ्य: पीडयितुं रणे । पीड्यमानो हि कार्त्स्येन जह्माज्जीवितमात्मन:,“कुन्तीनन्दन! शत्रु थक गया हो तो युद्धमें उसे अधिक पीड़ा देना उचित नहीं है। यदि उसे पूर्णतः: पीड़ा दी जाय तो वह अपने प्राण त्याग देगा

Transliteration

klāntaḥ śatrur na kaunteya labhyaḥ pīḍayituṃ raṇe | pīḍyamāno hi kārtsnyena jahyāj jīvitam ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Kṛṣṇa sprach: „O Sohn der Kuntī, wenn der Feind erschöpft ist, ziemt es sich nicht, ihn im Kampf noch weiter zu quälen. Denn wird er bis zum Äußersten bedrängt, könnte er in Verzweiflung sein eigenes Leben preisgeben.“

Word by Word

क्लान्तःweary, exhausted

शत्रुःenemy

नnot

कौन्तेयO son of Kuntī

लभ्यःfit to be obtained/attained; (here) to be dealt with

पीडयितुम्to torment, to press hard

रणेin battle

पीड्यमानःbeing tormented

हिindeed, for

कार्त्स्येनcompletely, entirely (lit. by entirety)

जह्यात्would abandon, might give up

जीवितम्life

आत्मनःof himself

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Kaunteya (Arjuna)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in warfare, dharma requires restraint: when an opponent is already exhausted, intensifying cruelty is improper, because extreme pressure can drive him to desperate self-destruction. Victory should not be pursued through needless torment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa addresses Arjuna (Kaunteya) and lays down a principle of righteous conduct in combat, advising against further affliction of an enemy who has become fatigued, warning that total harassment may lead the foe to give up his life.