ततस् ते समयं चक्रुः कुरुपाण्डवसोमकाः ॥
धर्मांश् च स्थापयाम् आसुर् युद्धानां भरतर्षभ ॥
निवृत्ते चैव नो युद्धे प्रीतिश् च स्यात् परस्परम् ॥
यथापुरं यथायोगं न च स्याच् छलनं पुनः ॥
वाचा युद्धे प्रवृत्ते नो वाचैव प्रतियोधनम् ॥
निष्क्रान्तः पृतनामध्यान् न हन्तव्यः कथं चन ॥
रथी च रथिना योध्यो गजेन गजधूर्गतः ॥
अश्वेनाश्वी पदातिश् च पदातेनैव भारत ॥
यथायोगं यथावीर्यं यथोत्साहं यथावयः ॥
समाभाष्य प्रहर्तव्यं न विश्वस्ते न विह्वले ॥
परेण सह संयुक्तः प्रमत्तो विमुखस् तथा ॥
क्षीणशस्त्रो विवर्मा च न हन्तव्यः कथं चन ॥
न सूतेषु न धुर्येषु न च शस्त्रोपनायिषु ॥
न भेरीशङ्खवादेषु प्रहर्तव्यं कथं चन ॥
tatas te samayaṃ cakruḥ kurupāṇḍavasomakāḥ ||
dharmāṃś ca sthāpayām āsur yuddhānāṃ bharatarṣabha ||
nivṛtte caiva no yuddhe prītiś ca syāt parasparam ||
yathāpuraṃ yathāyogaṃ na ca syāc chalanaṃ punaḥ ||
vācā yuddhe pravṛtte no vācaiva pratiyodhanam ||
niṣkrāntaḥ pṛtanāmadhyān na hantavyaḥ kathaṃ cana ||
rathī ca rathinā yodhyo gajena gajadhūrgataḥ ||
aśvenāśvī padātiś ca padātenaiva bhārata ||
yathāyogaṃ yathāvīryaṃ yathotsāhaṃ yathāvayaḥ ||
samābhāṣya prahartavyaṃ na viśvaste na vihvale ||
pareṇa saha saṃyuktaḥ pramatto vimukhas tathā ||
kṣīṇaśastro vivarmā ca na hantavyaḥ kathaṃ cana ||
na sūteṣu na dhuryeṣu na ca śastropanāyiṣu ||
na bherīśaṅkhavādeṣu prahartavyaṃ kathaṃ cana ||
Then the Kurus, Pandavas, and Somakas made an agreement and, O best of the Bharatas, set forth the rules of dharma for their battles. "When our war is over," they said, "let there be goodwill between us once more, as before and as befits us; let there be no treachery again. If the fight begins with words, the answer must be by words alone. He who has withdrawn from the midst of the ranks must never be struck down. A chariot warrior shall fight only a chariot warrior, a warrior on an elephant only a warrior on an elephant, a horseman only a horseman, and a foot soldier, O Bharata, only a foot soldier. One should strike only after warning, and in keeping with position, strength, resolve, and age; one must not strike the trusting or the bewildered. One must never slay one who is already engaged with another opponent, who is dazed, who has turned away, whose weapon is spent, or who is without armor. One must not strike charioteers, draft animals, those who bring weapons, or those who sound drums and conches."
d95fde7a8315 · प्रकाशित 17 जुल॰ 2026, 8:37:17 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Before the slaughter begins, both sides set forth the code of a warrior's dharma. These rules matter precisely because the war is already inevitable: even in destruction a boundary remains that separates the kshatriya's duty from murderous license. The verses make clear that strength without the restraint of dharma becomes adharma.