Shloka 32
यो हानाथ इवाक्रम्य पार्षतेन हतस्तथा
yo hānātha ivākramya pārṣatena hatas tathā
Arjuna said: “He who, as though helpless and without a protector, was overpowered and then slain in that manner by the son of Pṛṣat—this is what has happened.” The line conveys Arjuna’s moral shock at a killing carried out when the victim appeared effectively defenseless, raising the ethical tension between battlefield necessity and the warrior code that condemns striking one who cannot properly resist.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical strain of war: even in a righteous battle, killing someone who appears helpless or unprotected is morally troubling and invites scrutiny under kṣatriya-dharma.
Arjuna comments on a killing attributed to Pārṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna), describing the victim as having been overpowered and slain as if defenseless, signaling Arjuna’s concern about the manner of the act.