Shloka 10

बभ्रुवाहन-धनंजययोः संग्रामः

Babhruvāhana and Dhanaṃjaya’s engagement at Maṇipūra

Devanagari script

श्रेयो वदामि युष्माकं॑ न हिंसेयमवस्थितान्‌

Transliteration

śreyo vadāmi yuṣmākaṁ na hiṁseyam avasthitān | yo ‘haṁ bhavān iti brūyād raṇe jitvā mayā tv iti | sa tiṣṭhann api me ‘grato na taṁ hanyāṁ yodhāḥ ||

Translation

毗舍ṃ帕耶那说道：“我为你们的福祉而言：凡已退让止战者，我不加杀戮。你们中任何战士，若在战场上承认败北而宣告：‘我归于你；你在战争中已胜我’——纵使仍立于我前，我亦不杀。听罢此言，各自依所见之真利而行。”

Word by Word

• श्रेयो: what is better / welfare
• श्रेयो: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वदामि: I speak / I say
• वदामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• युष्माकम्: of you (all) / for you
• युष्माकम्: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• हिंसेयम्: I should harm / I would kill
• हिंसेयम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हिंस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अवस्थितान्: standing (there), stationed
• अवस्थितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवस्थित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• yodhāḥ (warriors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes a dharmic restraint in warfare: a combatant who openly accepts defeat and submits should not be harmed. It frames mercy toward the surrendered as a higher, welfare-producing course (śreyaḥ), placing ethical limits on violence even amid battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker announces a rule to the assembled warriors: if any opponent acknowledges defeat and declares submission—‘I am yours; you have conquered me’—then even if that person remains standing before him, he will not be slain. The warriors are then told to choose their course based on what they judge to be in their best interest.