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Shloka 4

अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः

Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving

क्षत्रियका पुत्र यदि समरांगणमें घायल होकर बाणोंकी चितापर दग्ध होता है तो वह देवदुर्लभ लोकोंमें जाता और वहाँ आनन्दपूर्वक स्वर्गीय-सुख भोगता है ।।

kṣatriyakā putra yadi samarāṅgaṇeṁ ghāyala hokara bāṇoṁ kī citā par dagdha hotā hai to vah devadurlabha lokoṁ meṁ jātā aur vahāṁ ānandapūrvak svargīya-sukha bhogatā hai || śrāntaṁ bhītaṁ bhraṣṭaśastraṁ rudantaṁ parāṅmukhaṁ paribaddhaśva-hīnam | anudyantaṁ rogiṇaṁ yācamānaṁ na vai hiṁsyathā bāla-vṛddhau ca rājan ||

បារាសរៈបាននិយាយថា៖ «បើកូនក្សត្រិយៈម្នាក់ រងរបួសនៅសមរភូមិ ហើយត្រូវបានដុតលើចិតាព្រួញ នោះគាត់នឹងទៅដល់លោកដែលសូម្បីតែទេវតាក៏ពិបាកឈានដល់ ហើយនៅទីនោះគាត់រីករាយដោយអំណរ នូវសុខសាន្តសួគ៌។ ប៉ុន្តែ ឱ ព្រះមហាក្សត្រ! មិនគួរវាយសត្រូវដែលនឿយហត់ ភ័យខ្លាច បានទម្លាក់អាវុធ កំពុងយំ កំពុងរត់បង្ហាញខ្នង បានបាត់សេះ និងសម្ភារៈសង្គ្រាម មិនខិតខំប្រយុទ្ធទៀត ឈឺជំងឺ ឬកំពុងសុំជីវិតឡើយ; ហើយក៏មិនគួរសម្លាប់សត្រូវដែលជាកុមារ ឬជាចាស់ជរាដែរ»។

श्रान्तम्exhausted
श्रान्तम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रान्त
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
भीतम्afraid
भीतम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootभीत
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
भ्रष्टशस्त्रम्one whose weapon has fallen/been lost
भ्रष्टशस्त्रम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootभ्रष्टशस्त्र
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
रुदन्तम्crying
रुदन्तम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootरुदत्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
पराङ्मुखम्one who has turned away (fleeing)
पराङ्मुखम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपराङ्मुख
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
परिबाधश्वहीनम्deprived of horse and impediments/means (i.e., without support/transport)
परिबाधश्वहीनम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपरिबाधश्वहीन
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
अनुद्यन्तम्not striving / having ceased effort
अनुद्यन्तम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअनुद्यत्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
रोगिणम्a sick man
रोगिणम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootरोगिन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
याचमानम्begging (for life/mercy)
याचमानम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootयाचमान
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
हिंस्यथyou should harm/kill
हिंस्यथ:
TypeVerb
Rootहिंस्
FormImperative, Second, Plural, Parasmaipada
बालवृद्धौa boy and an old man (the young and the old)
बालवृद्धौ:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootबालवृद्ध
FormMasculine, Accusative, Dual
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

पराशर उवाच

P
Parāśara
R
rājan (the king, addressee)
K
kṣatriya-putra (son of a Kṣatriya)
S
samarāṅgaṇa (battlefield)
B
bāṇa (arrows)
C
citā (funeral pyre)
S
svarga (heaven)
D
devadurlabha lokāḥ (rare celestial realms)

Educational Q&A

The passage balances valor with restraint: heroic death in righteous battle is praised as leading to exalted realms, yet dharma forbids killing those who are helpless—exhausted, weaponless, fleeing, sick, pleading, or too young/old—because such killing violates the ethical limits of warfare.

Parāśara instructs a king on proper conduct in war. He first states the merit and heavenly reward associated with a Kṣatriya who dies wounded in battle, then immediately lays down prohibitions against slaying certain categories of vulnerable enemies, defining what honorable combat must exclude.