Shloka 7
प्राग्ज्योतिषे वज्रदत्त-धनंजय-समागमः
Vajradatta Confronts Dhanaṃjaya at Prāgjyotiṣa
स हि वीर: प्रयास्यन् वै धर्मराजेन वारितः । हतबान्धवा न ते पार्थ हन्तव्या: पार्थिवा इति
sa hi vīraḥ prayāsyan vai dharmarājena vāritaḥ | hatabāndhavā na te pārtha hantavyāḥ pārthivā iti ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Alors que le héros Arjuna s’apprêtait à partir, Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira le retint en disant : « Ô Pārtha, tu ne dois pas tuer ces rois dont les frères et les proches ont été tués dans la guerre. » Ce conseil met en lumière une éthique d’après-guerre : la retenue et le refus d’ajouter du sang à la douleur de souverains déjà endeuillés par Kurukṣetra.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even for a victorious warrior, dharma may require restraint: those already devastated by war (bereaved rulers) should not be targeted again, emphasizing compassion and the prevention of needless violence.
As Arjuna prepares to depart on a mission, Yudhiṣṭhira stops him and instructs him not to kill kings whose brothers and relatives have already been slain in the Kurukṣetra war.