Shloka 14
Sandhi–Vigraha in Āpada: The Mouse and the Cat (सन्धिविग्रहापदि—मूषकमार्जारसंवादः)
सर्वथा स्त्री न हन्तव्या सर्वसत्त्वेषु केनचित् । नित्य॑तु ब्राह्मणे स्वस्ति योद्धव्यं च तदर्थतः,तुममेंसे कोई भी सभी प्राणियोंके स्त्रीवर्गकी किसी तरह भी हत्या न करे। ब्राह्मणोंके हितका सदा ध्यान रखना। आवश्यकता हो तो उनकी रक्षाके लिये युद्ध भी करना
sarvathā strī na hantavyā sarvasattveṣu kenacit | nityaṁ tu brāhmaṇe svasti yoddhavyaṁ ca tadarthataḥ ||
Kāvyā sprach: „Unter keinen Umständen darf eine Frau von irgendjemandem unter allen Lebewesen getötet werden. Behaltet stets das Wohl der Brāhmaṇas im Blick; und wenn es nötig wird, so kämpft um eben dieses Ziel—nämlich um ihren Schutz.“
कायव्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse lays down two dharmic priorities: (1) an absolute prohibition against killing women, and (2) a standing duty to secure the welfare of brāhmaṇas—so important that, when required, even warfare may be undertaken specifically for their protection.
Within the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, the speaker Kāvyā articulates a rule of restraint in violence (women are not to be harmed) while also defining a conditional duty of force: fighting becomes legitimate when it is directed toward safeguarding brāhmaṇas and upholding their well-being.