Shloka 25

कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira

Devanagari script

अयुध्यमानस्य वधस्तथाशत्रोश्व मानद | पराड्मुखस्य द्रवत: शरणं चापि गच्छत:

Transliteration

ayudhyamānasya vadhastathāśatroś ca mānada | parāṅmukhasya dravataḥ śaraṇaṃ cāpi gacchataḥ ||

Translation

मानदा, जो लढत नाही, ज्याच्या मनात वैर नाही, जो रणातून तोंड फिरवून पळत आहे किंवा शरणास जात आहे—अशा मनुष्याचा वध श्रेष्ठ पुरुष मान्य करीत नाहीत. या सर्व गोष्टी तुझ्या ज्येष्ठ भावात आहेत।

Word by Word

• {'ayudhyamāna': 'one who is not fighting, non-combatant at that moment', 'vadha': 'slaying, killing', 'aśatru': 'one who is not an enemy

• non-hostile person', 'mānada': '‘giver of honor’

• a respectful address meaning noble one', 'parāṅmukha': 'turned away, facing away

• withdrawing from combat', 'dravat': 'running, fleeing', 'śaraṇa': 'refuge, protection, asylum', 'gacchataḥ': 'of one who is going/approaching (for refuge)'}

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• your elder brother (addressed person’s elder brother)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Kṛṣṇa states a dharma-based rule of warfare: it is not considered righteous to kill someone who is not fighting, has turned away and is fleeing, or is seeking refuge/protection. Ethical restraint is part of true heroism.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Karṇa Parva battle context, Kṛṣṇa addresses a warrior (calling him ‘mānada’) and argues that the warrior’s elder brother fits the protected categories—non-combatant/withdrawing/fleeing/seeking refuge—therefore he should not be slain.