Shloka 346
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 94: Sātyaki–Sudarśana Yuddha (सात्यकि–सुदर्शन युद्ध)
नावधीत् कृतवर्माणं प्राप्तमप्यरिष्दन: । शत घोड़ोंवाले शत्रुसूदन अर्जुन उस युद्धस्थलमें बड़ी उतावलीके साथ शत्रु-सेनाओंको पीड़ा दे रहे थे। परंतु उन्होंने (सम्बन्धका विचार करके) कृतवर्माको सामने पाकर भी मारा नहीं
na avadhīt kṛtavarmāṇaṃ prāptam api ariṣūdanaḥ | śata-ghoḍa-vālaḥ śatru-sūdana arjunaḥ tasmin yuddha-sthale mahā-utāvalyā śatru-senāḥ pīḍayan āsīt | kintu sa sambandha-vicāreṇa kṛtavarmāṇaṃ sammukhaṃ prāpya api na jaghāna |
Sañjaya said: Though Kṛtavarmā stood before him, Ariṣūdana (Arjuna) did not strike him down. On that battlefield, the foe-slaying Arjuna—mounted on a chariot drawn by a hundred horses—was fiercely harassing the enemy forces with great urgency; yet, mindful of personal ties and obligations, he refrained from killing Kṛtavarmā even when the opportunity arose.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid righteous warfare, dharma includes restraint: one may possess the power and opportunity to kill, yet ethical reflection—here, consideration of personal ties and obligations—can rightly limit violence.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna is aggressively pressuring the enemy forces on the battlefield, but when Kṛtavarmā comes directly before him, Arjuna chooses not to kill him, holding back due to relational considerations.