Shloka 32
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 158 — Aṅgāraparṇa-saṃvāda and Gaṅgā-tīrtha Saṃghaṭṭa
Encounter at the Gaṅgā ford
निस्संशयं वध: पुंसां स्त्रीणां संशयितो वध: । अतो मामेव धर्मज्ञ प्रस्थापयितुमहसि,पुरुष वहाँ जायूँ, तो वह राक्षस उनका वध कर ही डालेगा इसमें संशय नहीं है; परंतु स्त्रियोंके वधमें संदेह है। (यदि राक्षसने धर्मका विचार किया तो मेरे बच जानेकी आशा है) अतः धर्मज्ञ आर्यपुत्र! आप मुझे ही वहाँ भेजें
niḥsaṁśayaṁ vadhaḥ puṁsāṁ strīṇāṁ saṁśayito vadhaḥ | ato mām eva dharmajña prasthāpayitum arhasi |
“การฆ่าชายย่อมแน่นอน; แต่การฆ่าสตรีนั้นยังไม่แน่ชัด เพราะฉะนั้น ท่านผู้รู้ธรรม พึงส่งข้าไปที่นั่นแทน”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical argument grounded in dharma: when harm seems inevitable for one group (men) but uncertain for another (women), one should choose the course that minimizes likely wrongdoing and protects the more vulnerable, even at personal cost.
A brāhmaṇa speaks to a dharma-knowing noble, urging that he himself be sent in place of others. He reasons that a violent adversary will certainly kill a man, whereas the killing of women is not certain; thus he offers himself as the one to go.