Verse 7.91

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

न च हन्यात् स्थलारूढं न क्लीबं न कृताञ्जलिम् ।
न मुक्तकेशं नासीनं न तवास्मीति वादिनम् ॥ ९१ ॥

na ca hanyāt sthalārūḍhaṃ na klībaṃ na kṛtāñjalim |
na muktakeśaṃ nāsīnaṃ na tavāsmīti vādinam || 91 ||

He shall hot strike one who is standing on the ground, nor one who is a eunuch, nor the supp?icant (supplicant?) with joined palms, nor one with loosened hair, nor one who is seated, nor one who says ‘i am yours;’—(91)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The man on the chariot should strike only him who also is on a chariot; so that one standing on the ground shall not be struck.

‘Eunuch’— who is devoid of masculinity; or who is without manliness.

‘He who is seated’—unconcerned, elsewhere; or on his chariot, or on the ground.

He shall not strike also one who says ‘I am yours’. No stress is meant to be laid upon the exact words to be used. What is meant is that he shall not strike the poor supplicant who addresses to him such words as ‘I am yours’, ‘I seek your shelter’, and so forth (91)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Sthalārūḍham’—‘Who is standing on the other ground’ (Medhātithi, Kullūka and Rāghavānanda);—‘one who, in flight, has climbed on an eminence’ (Nārāyaṇa).

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 406); and in Nītimayūkha (p. 80).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 7.91-93)

Gautama (10.18).—‘No sin is incurred in slaying foes in battle,—excepting those who have lost their horses, charioteers or arms, those who join their hands in supplication, those who flee with flying hair, those who sit. down with averted faces, those who have climbed in flight on eminences or trees, messengers, and those who declare themselves to be cows, or Brāhmaṇas.’

Baudhāyana (1.18.11).—‘He shall not light those in fear, intoxicated, insane or out of their minds; nor those who have lost their armour; nor with women, infants, aged men and Brāhmaṇas.’

Āpastamba (2.10, 11).—‘The Āryas forbid the killing of those who have laid down their arms, of those who beg for mercy with flying hair or joined palms, and of fugitives.’

Yajñavalkya (1.325).—‘He shall mot strike one who says I am yours, or who is terrified, or deprived of arms, or who is engaged with another person, or who has turned hack from the fight, or one who is only looking on the battle.’

Devala (Vīramitrodaya-Rājanīti., p. 407).—‘Who is eating straw, who is engaged with another, who is not actively engaged in fight, who is seeking shelter, the imbecile, one pressed by another, the religious student, the aged man, the outcast, the infant,—these shall not ho struck in lawful battle, by soldiers, even in times of distress.’