Shloka 56
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
तात्कालिक वधं हत्वा हंतारमाततायिनं । न च हंता च तत्पापैर्लिप्यते द्विजसत्तम
tātkālika vadhaṃ hatvā haṃtāramātatāyinaṃ | na ca haṃtā ca tatpāpairlipyate dvijasattama
Wahai yang terbaik antara para dvija! Apabila seorang ātatāyin yang membunuh itu dibunuh serta-merta di tempat kejadian, si pembunuhnya tidak ternoda oleh dosa yang timbul daripada perbuatan itu.
Unspecified in provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyāya 48 framing dialogue).
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: haṃtāramātatāyinaṃ = हन्तारम् + आततायिनम्; tatpāpairlipyate = तत् + पापैः + लिप्यते (तत् → तद् before p, written as तत्पापैः); note Devanagari has हंतारम् (for हन्तारम्).
FAQs
No. It narrowly addresses the case of an immediate, murderous aggressor (ātatāyin) and states that killing such a person in the moment is not sinful for the defender.
An ātatāyin is a dangerous aggressor—typically one who attacks with lethal intent (e.g., armed assailant or felon). This verse treats such a person as an exceptional case where defensive killing is not considered a sin.
It teaches proportional, immediate self-defense: when faced with a deadly aggressor, stopping the threat—even by lethal force—does not morally stain the protector, provided it is truly necessary and immediate.