Shloka 32
सैन्यसंनिवेशः (Sainyasaṃniveśaḥ) — Deployment, Omens, and Yuddha-Dharma Conventions
न सूतेषु न धुर्येषु न च शस्त्रोपनायिषु । न भेरीशड्खवादेषु प्रहर्तव्यं कथंचन,घोड़ोंकी सेवाके लिये नियुक्त हुए सूतों, बोझ ढोनेवालों, शस्त्र पहुँचानेवालों तथा भेरी और शंख बजानेवालोंपर कोई किसी प्रकार भी प्रहार न करे
na sūteṣu na dhuryeṣu na ca śastropanāyiṣu | na bherīśaṅkhavādeṣu prahartavyaṃ kathaṃcana ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Jangan sekali-kali memukul mereka yang ditugaskan sebagai sais dan penjaga kuda, para pemikul beban, para pembawa senjata, serta mereka yang membunyikan gendang perang dan sangkakala.” Larangan ini menegakkan adab perang menurut dharma: petugas sokongan yang bukan pejuang tidak boleh dijadikan sasaran.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a dharmic restraint in warfare: those serving supportive, non-frontline roles—charioteers/attendants, burden-bearers, weapon-carriers, and signal-instrument players—should not be attacked, emphasizing ethical limits even amid violence.
In the opening of Bhīṣma Parva, as the great battle is being organized and rules are being articulated, this instruction is voiced to define who counts as a legitimate target, protecting battlefield auxiliaries from assault.