Shloka 48

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

कृपया विरथं कृत्वा नाहनद्‌ धर्मचिन्तया । यश्न मायासहस््राणि विकुर्वाणं जयैषिणम्‌

Transliteration

kṛpayā virathaṃ kṛtvā nāhanad dharmacintayā | yaś ca māyāsahasrāṇi vikurvāṇaṃ jayaiṣiṇam ||

Translation

毗耶娑波耶那说：出于怜悯，他使其失却战车，却因思量达摩而不加击杀。纵然对方求胜心切，施展千般诡计，他仍自持克制。

Word by Word

कृपयाout of compassion / with pity

विरथम्chariotless

कृत्वाhaving made

नnot

अहनत्struck / killed

धर्मचिन्तयाwith thought of dharma / from scruple of righteousness

यशःfame, glory

मायासहस्राणिthousands of illusions/stratagems

विकुर्वाणम्performing / displaying / producing

जयैषिणम्desirous of victory

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, dharma can restrain violence: one should not strike an opponent who has been made helpless (here, chariotless), and compassion and righteous reflection can override the impulse to win at any cost—especially when the other side relies on deception.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the battle narration, a warrior has rendered his opponent chariotless. Yet, considering dharma, he does not strike him, despite the opponent’s aggressive pursuit of victory and use of many deceptive tactics.