Shloka 10
बभ्रुवाहन-धनंजययोः संग्रामः
Babhruvāhana and Dhanaṃjaya’s engagement at Maṇipūra
श्रेयो वदामि युष्माकं॑ न हिंसेयमवस्थितान्,'योद्धाओ! मैं तुम्हारे कल्याणकी बात बता रहा हूँ। तुममेंसे जो कोई अपनी पराजय स्वीकार करते हुए रणभूमिमें यह कहेगा कि मैं आपका हूँ, आपने मुझे युद्धमें जीत लिया है, वह सामने खड़ा रहे तो भी मैं उसका वध नहीं करूँगा। मेरी यह बात सुनकर तुम्हें जिसमें अपना हित दिखायी पड़े, वह करो
śreyo vadāmi yuṣmākaṁ na hiṁseyam avasthitān | yo ‘haṁ bhavān iti brūyād raṇe jitvā mayā tv iti | sa tiṣṭhann api me ‘grato na taṁ hanyāṁ yodhāḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “I speak for your welfare: I will not strike down those who stand down. Any warrior among you who, accepting defeat on the battlefield, declares, ‘I am yours; you have conquered me in war,’—even if he remains standing before me, I will not kill him. Having heard this, do what each of you sees as truly beneficial.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes a dharmic restraint in warfare: a combatant who openly accepts defeat and submits should not be harmed. It frames mercy toward the surrendered as a higher, welfare-producing course (śreyaḥ), placing ethical limits on violence even amid battle.
The speaker announces a rule to the assembled warriors: if any opponent acknowledges defeat and declares submission—‘I am yours; you have conquered me’—then even if that person remains standing before him, he will not be slain. The warriors are then told to choose their course based on what they judge to be in their best interest.