Shloka 32

अर्जुनस्य दिग्विजयारम्भः — Arjuna Initiates the Northern Campaign and Secures Bhagadattta’s Tribute

Devanagari script

क्लान्त:ः शत्रुर्न कौन्तेय लभ्य: पीडयितुं रणे । पीड्यमानो हि कार्त्स्येन जह्माज्जीवितमात्मन:,“कुन्तीनन्दन! शत्रु थक गया हो तो युद्धमें उसे अधिक पीड़ा देना उचित नहीं है। यदि उसे पूर्णतः: पीड़ा दी जाय तो वह अपने प्राण त्याग देगा

Transliteration

klāntaḥ śatrur na kaunteya labhyaḥ pīḍayituṃ raṇe | pīḍyamāno hi kārtsnyena jahyāj jīvitam ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Wahai putra Kuntī, bila musuh telah kelelahan, tidak patut menekannya dengan siksaan lebih lanjut di medan laga; sebab bila didera sampai batasnya, ia bisa putus asa dan melepaskan nyawanya sendiri.

Word by Word

क्लान्तःweary, exhausted

शत्रुःenemy

नnot

कौन्तेयO son of Kuntī

लभ्यःfit to be obtained/attained; (here) to be dealt with

पीडयितुम्to torment, to press hard

रणेin battle

पीड्यमानःbeing tormented

हिindeed, for

कार्त्स्येनcompletely, entirely (lit. by entirety)

जह्यात्would abandon, might give up

जीवितम्life

आत्मनःof himself

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Kaunteya (Arjuna)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in warfare, dharma requires restraint: when an opponent is already exhausted, intensifying cruelty is improper, because extreme pressure can drive him to desperate self-destruction. Victory should not be pursued through needless torment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa addresses Arjuna (Kaunteya) and lays down a principle of righteous conduct in combat, advising against further affliction of an enemy who has become fatigued, warning that total harassment may lead the foe to give up his life.