Mahabharata 7.183.231 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 183, Shloka 231
त्वद्धितार्थ तु स मया हतः संग्राममूर्थनि । चेदिराजकश्ष् विक्रान्त: प्रत्यक्ष निहतस्तव
tvaddhitārtha tu sa mayā hataḥ saṅgrāmamūrdhani | cedirājakas vikrāntaḥ pratyakṣa nihatas tava ||
તમારા હિત માટે જ મેં યુદ્ધના અગ્રભાગમાં તેને મારી નાખ્યો. ચેદિનો તે પરાક્રમી રાજા તમારી આંખો સામે પ્રત્યક્ષ રીતે નિહત થયો છે.
श्रीवायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a wartime ethic where force is claimed to be legitimate when directed toward protecting another’s welfare and fulfilling a perceived duty. It highlights how acts of killing are morally framed through intention (hita—benefit) and context (battlefield necessity), even while acknowledging the valor of the fallen.
Vāyu-deva declares that he has killed a heroic enemy—the king of Cedi—at the front of the battle, and emphasizes that this was done for the listener’s benefit and in the listener’s direct sight, underscoring both immediacy and accountability within the combat scene.
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