Mahabharata 7.39.16 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 39, Shloka 16
अभिमन्युना दुःशासनस्य ताडनम्
Abhimanyu’s Rebuke and Wounding of Duḥśāsana; Karṇa’s Counter-volley
सर्वमूर्धाभिषिक्तानामाचार्यों ब्रह्म॒वित्तम: । अर्जुनस्य सुतं मूढं नायं हन्तुमिहेच्छति
sañjaya uvāca |
sarvamūrdhābhiṣiktānām ācāryo brahmavittamaḥ |
arjunasya sutaṃ mūḍhaṃ nāyaṃ hantum ihecchati ||
Sañjaya disse: Droṇa —preceptor de todos os reis consagrados e o mais eminente conhecedor de Brahman— não deseja matar aqui o filho iludido de Arjuna. A afirmação ressalta uma hesitação moral em meio à batalha: mesmo um mestre-guerreiro, embora em guerra, pode conter-se de tirar a vida de um jovem extraviado, preso à ética do guru e ao peso do saber espiritual.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within righteous warfare, ethical restraint can arise from one’s role and inner values: a revered teacher and spiritual knower may hesitate to kill a misguided youth, highlighting limits on violence and the moral weight of intention.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa, famed as the royal preceptor and a foremost spiritual knower, is unwilling to kill Arjuna’s son on the battlefield, indicating a moment of reluctance or mercy amid the conflict.
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