Shloka 27
उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः
Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment
मोक्षे प्रयाणे चलने पानभोजनकालयो: । अतिक्षिप्तान् व्यतिक्षिप्तान् निहतान् प्रतनूकृतान्
bhīṣma uvāca | mokṣe prayāṇe calane pānabhojanakālayoḥ | atikṣiptān vyatikṣiptān nihatān pratanūkṛtān |
Bhishma dit : On ne doit pas frapper l’ennemi au moment de la retraite ou du départ, lorsqu’il va et vient, ni à l’heure où il mange et boit. On ne doit pas non plus attaquer ceux que la panique accable ou que le trouble égare, ceux qui sont déjà abattus, ni ceux que la faiblesse a rendus sans défense. La règle éthique de la bataille est la retenue : ne pas exploiter la vulnérabilité ni les instants sans garde, et ne pas changer la guerre en carnage.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, dharma imposes limits: one must not attack opponents at vulnerable, non-combat moments (withdrawing, moving about without engagement, eating or drinking) or those who are incapacitated by fear, confusion, injury, or weakness. Victory should not be sought through cruelty or opportunism.
In the Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on righteous conduct. Here he lays down specific battlefield prohibitions—who should not be struck and under what circumstances—framing warfare as regulated by moral law rather than unchecked violence.