Shloka 20
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 3 — Sātyaki on Inner Disposition, Legitimacy, and Coercive Readiness
नाधर्मो विद्यते कश्चिच्छबत्रूनू हत्वा5डततायिन:
nādharmo vidyate kaścit śatrūn hatvā ’tatāyinaḥ
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Tiada sedikit pun adharma dalam membunuh musuh yang bergelar ‘ātatāyin’—penceroboh ganas yang menyerang dahulu serta mengancam nyawa dan ketertiban. Dalam hal demikian, perbuatan itu dianggap mempertahankan dharma, bukan melanggarnya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that killing an ātatāyin—an immediate, violent aggressor—is not adharma. Ethical responsibility is tied to protecting life and social order when faced with unlawful, initiating violence.
In the Udyoga Parva’s lead-up to war, the narration frames the moral logic of conflict: when opponents act as ātatāyins (aggressors), resistance—even lethal—is presented as dharmically permissible rather than sinful.