Shloka 50
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 94: Sātyaki–Sudarśana Yuddha (सात्यकि–सुदर्शन युद्ध)
उवाच चैनं भगवान् पुनरेव जलेश्वर:,गदा देकर भगवान् वरुणने उनसे पुनः कहा--“वत्स! जो युद्ध न कर रहा हो, उसपर इस गदाका प्रहार न करना; अन्यथा यह तुम्हारे ऊपर ही आकर गिरेगी। शक्तिशाली पुत्र! यह गदा प्रतिकूल आचरण करनेवाले प्रयोक्ता पुरुषको भी मार सकती है”
sañjaya uvāca | uvāca cainaṃ bhagavān punar eva jaleśvaraḥ | gadāṃ dattvā bhagavān varuṇaḥ punar abravīt—“vatsa! yo yuddhaṃ na karoti tasmin gadā-prahāraṃ mā kārṣīḥ; anyathā eṣā tvām eva pratigamiṣyati. śaktimān putra! eṣā gadā pratikūlācāriṇaṃ prayoktāram api hantuṃ śaknoti” iti |
Sañjaya said: Then the blessed Lord of the waters, Varuṇa, once again addressed him. Having bestowed the mace, Varuṇa warned: “My child, do not strike with this mace one who is not fighting; otherwise it will recoil and fall upon you. Mighty son, this mace has the power to slay even the very wielder who acts contrary to right conduct.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, restraint is dharma: a weapon should not be used against one who is not fighting. Unrighteous use rebounds upon the user—ethical violation carries immediate, self-destructive consequences.
Sañjaya narrates that Varuṇa, the lord of waters, gives a mace and issues a strict condition: it must not be used to strike a non-combatant; if misused, it will recoil and harm the wielder himself.