प्रपन्नं विरथं भीतं न रिपुं हन्ति धर्मवित् ॥३६॥
mattaá¹ pramattam unmattaá¹
suptaá¹ bÄlaá¹ striyaá¹ jaá¸am
prapannaá¹ virathaá¹ bhÄ«taá¹
na ripuá¹ hanti dharma-vit
1 times this text was mentioned in purports to other texts: LSB(1)
mattam - careless; pramattam - intoxicated; unmattam - insane; suptam - asleep; bÄlam - boy; striyam - woman; jaá¸am - foolish; prapannam - surrendered; viratham - one who has lost his chariot; bhÄ«tam - afraid; na - not; ripum - enemy; hanti - kill; dharma-vit - one who knows the principles of religion.
A person who knows the principles of religion does not kill an enemy who is careless, intoxicated, insane, asleep, afraid or devoid of his chariot. Nor does he kill a boy, a woman, a foolish creature or a surrendered soul.
An enemy who does not resist is never killed by a warrior who knows the principles of religion. Formerly battles were fought on the principles of religion and not for the sake of sense gratification. If the enemy happened to be intoxicated, asleep, etc., as above mentioned, he was never to be killed. These are some of the codes of religious war. Formerly war was never declared by the whims of selfish political leaders; it was carried out on religious principles free from all vices. Violence carried out on religious principles is far superior to so-called nonviolence.
