Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अधो नाभ्या न हन्तव्यमिति शास्त्रस्य निश्चय: । अयं त्वशास्त्रविन्मूढ: स्वच्छन्दात्‌ सम्प्रवर्तते,“नाभिसे नीचे आघात नहीं करना चाहिये। यह गदा-युद्धके विषयमें शास्त्रका सिद्धान्त है। परंतु यह शास्त्रज्ञानसे शून्य मूर्ख भीमसेन यहाँ स्वेच्छाचार कर रहा है'

Transliteration

adho nābhyā na hantavyam iti śāstrasya niścayaḥ | ayaṃ tv aśāstravin mūḍhaḥ svacchandāt sampravartate ||

Translation

संजय बोले—“नाभि से नीचे प्रहार नहीं करना चाहिए—गदायुद्ध के विषय में शास्त्र का यही निश्चय है। पर यह शास्त्र से अनभिज्ञ मूढ़ मनुष्य स्वेच्छा से आचरण कर रहा है।”

Word by Word

अधःbelow

नाभ्याःfrom the navel; below the navel (as limit)

नnot

हन्तव्यम्is to be struck/killed; should be struck

इतिthus (quotative)

शास्त्रस्यof the treatise/śāstra

निश्चयःdecision; settled rule

अयम्this (man)

तुbut/however

अशास्त्रवित्one who does not know the śāstra

मूढःdeluded; foolish

स्वच्छन्दात्from his own will; at his own pleasure

सम्प्रवर्ततेproceeds; acts; sets about

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīmasena

śāstra (rule of gadā-yuddha)

nābhi (navel)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, combat is expected to follow established rules (śāstra). Striking below the navel in mace-fighting is presented as a prohibited act, and violating such limits is framed as adharma—conduct driven by impulse rather than disciplined righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya comments on the conduct in a mace-fight, stating that the accepted rule forbids blows below the navel. He then criticizes the fighter in question as acting arbitrarily and without regard for śāstric norms, highlighting a perceived breach of the code governing the duel.