Shloka 27
सुप्तं वाथ प्रमत्तं वा यथा हन्याद् विषेण वा
suptaṁ vātha pramattaṁ vā yathā hanyād viṣeṇa vā
ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ: “ଯେପରି ଶୁଇଥିବା କିମ୍ବା ଅସାବଧାନ ମଣିଷକୁ ଆଘାତ କରି ମାରିଦିଆଯାଏ—କିମ୍ବା ବିଷ ଦେଇ ନଶ୍ଟ କରାଯାଏ—ସେପରି ହତ୍ୟାର ରୀତି କୁହାଯାଏ,” ଅର୍ଥାତ୍ ଖୋଲା ଯୁଦ୍ଧର କ୍ଷତ୍ରଧର୍ମକୁ ଭଙ୍ଗ କରୁଥିବା ନିନ୍ଦନୀୟ, ଗୁପ୍ତ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that killing someone who is asleep or inattentive—especially by covert means like poison—is ethically blameworthy in the Mahābhārata’s war-ethics framework, contrasting stealthy harm with righteous, face-to-face combat.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, uses a comparison: slaying an unguarded person (asleep or careless) or poisoning him exemplifies an underhanded method of killing, invoked to judge or characterize conduct in the unfolding battle context.