Shloka 26
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
कृताञ्जले: प्रपन्नस्य प्रमत्तस्य तथैव च | न वध: पूज्यते सद्धिस्तच्च सर्व गुरौ तव,मानद! जो युद्ध न करता हो, शत्रुता न रखता हो, संग्रामसे विमुख होकर भागा जा रहा हो, शरणमें आता हो, हाथ जोड़कर आश्रयमें आ पड़ा हो तथा असावधान हो, ऐसे मनुष्यका वध करना श्रेष्ठ पुरुष अच्छा नहीं समझते हैं। तुम्हारे बड़े भाईमें उपर्युक्त सभी बातें हैं
kṛtāñjaleḥ prapannasya pramattasya tathaiva ca | na vadhaḥ pūjyate sadbhis tac ca sarvaṃ gurau tava mānada ||
奎师那说道：“善人不赞成杀那来投靠求庇护者、合掌哀求者，或疏忽无备者。此等杀戮在义者之中不受尊崇。赐荣者啊，这一切情形都落在你长兄身上。”
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, dharma sets limits: the righteous do not praise killing someone who has surrendered, is pleading with folded hands, or is unprepared and heedless. Victory must not be sought through dishonorable violence against the defenseless.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa addresses a warrior and invokes accepted rules of righteous combat, arguing that the opponent—identified as the listener’s elder brother—fits the protected categories (surrendered/pleading/heedless), and therefore should not be slain in that condition.