Shloka 6

Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)

Devanagari script

अधो नाभ्या न हन्तव्यमिति शास्त्रस्य निश्चय: । अयं त्वशास्त्रविन्मूढ: स्वच्छन्दात्‌ सम्प्रवर्तते,“नाभिसे नीचे आघात नहीं करना चाहिये। यह गदा-युद्धके विषयमें शास्त्रका सिद्धान्त है। परंतु यह शास्त्रज्ञानसे शून्य मूर्ख भीमसेन यहाँ स्वेच्छाचार कर रहा है'

Transliteration

adho nābhyā na hantavyam iti śāstrasya niścayaḥ | ayaṃ tv aśāstravin mūḍhaḥ svacchandāt sampravartate ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—“നാഭിക്കു താഴെ പ്രഹരിക്കരുത്—ഗദായുദ്ധത്തെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള ശാസ്ത്രത്തിന്റെ ഉറച്ച നിയമം അതാണ്. എന്നാൽ ശാസ്ത്രജ്ഞാനമില്ലാത്ത ഈ മൂഢൻ സ്വേച്ഛാനുസാരമാണ് പെരുമാറുന്നത്.”

Word by Word

अधःbelow

नाभ्याःfrom the navel; below the navel (as limit)

नnot

हन्तव्यम्is to be struck/killed; should be struck

इतिthus (quotative)

शास्त्रस्यof the treatise/śāstra

निश्चयःdecision; settled rule

अयम्this (man)

तुbut/however

अशास्त्रवित्one who does not know the śāstra

मूढःdeluded; foolish

स्वच्छन्दात्from his own will; at his own pleasure

सम्प्रवर्ततेproceeds; acts; sets about

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīmasena

śāstra (rule of gadā-yuddha)

nābhi (navel)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, combat is expected to follow established rules (śāstra). Striking below the navel in mace-fighting is presented as a prohibited act, and violating such limits is framed as adharma—conduct driven by impulse rather than disciplined righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya comments on the conduct in a mace-fight, stating that the accepted rule forbids blows below the navel. He then criticizes the fighter in question as acting arbitrarily and without regard for śāstric norms, highlighting a perceived breach of the code governing the duel.