Shloka 11

Devanagari script

न वध: पूज्यते लोके सुप्तानामिह धर्मत: । तथैवापास्तशस्त्राणां विमुक्तरथवाजिनाम्‌

Transliteration

na vadhaḥ pūjyate loke suptānām iha dharmataḥ | tathaivāpāstaśastrāṇāṃ vimuktarathavājinām ||

Translation

クリパは言った。「この世において、眠っている者を殺すことは、正法（ダルマ）として是認されない。同様に、武器を捨てた者、また戦車と馬を解き放たれた者（すなわち、もはや戦える状態にない者）を討つことも、ダルマにかなうとは見なされぬ。」

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• वधः: killing, slaying
• वधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पूज्यते: is approved/esteemed
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सुप्तानाम्: of (those) asleep
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• इह: here
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• धर्मतः: according to dharma, as a matter of righteousness
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धर्म

• तथा: likewise, similarly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अपास्त-शस्त्राणाम्: of those who have laid aside weapons
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपास्त-शस्त्र
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• विमुक्त-रथ-वाजिनाम्: of those whose chariots and horses have been released/unyoked
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुक्त-रथ-वाजि
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

कृप उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kṛpa (speaker)
• weapons (śastra)
• chariot (ratha)
• horses (vājin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse states a principle of dharma-yuddha: it is not righteous to kill those who are asleep or otherwise defenseless—specifically those who have set aside weapons and those who are no longer equipped for combat (their chariots/horses released).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sauptika Parva context, Kṛpa voices a moral restraint regarding night-time or opportunistic slaughter, warning that attacking sleeping or disarmed opponents violates accepted norms of righteous warfare.