Verse 7.93

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

नायुधव्यसनप्राप्तं नार्तं नातिपरिक्षतम् ।
न भीतं न परावृत्तं सतां धर्ममनुस्मरन् ॥ ९३ ॥

nāyudhavyasanaprāptaṃ nārtaṃ nātiparikṣatam |
na bhītaṃ na parāvṛttaṃ satāṃ dharmamanusmaran || 93 ||

Nor one who has fallen in difficulties regarding weapons; nor one in distress, nor one severely wounded, nor one who is frightened, nor one who has turned back;—the king remembering the duties of honourable men.—(93)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Difficulties regarding weapons’—such as the breaking of weapons, the sword becoming crooked, the snapping of the bowstring and so forth.

‘In distress’—on having lost his son or brother or some other relative.

‘Frightened’— showing such signs of fear as the paleness of face and the like, even though still facing his foe.

‘Turned back’— starding with his face turned away.

These are positive rules to be observed. If they are to be regarded as prohibitions, the non-observance of them would be sinful; [which would mean that their observance would simply save the man from that sin, and in that case] the declaration regarding the attaining of Heaven would be purely commendatory.

What then is the right view to take regarding these rules?

They are prohibitions set up for the man’s benefit, standing on the same footing as the prohibition of eating the flesh of the animal killed by a poisoned arrow. It is only when we take the rules thus that the negative word retains its primary meaning.

‘Remembering the duties of honourable men’—the sense of ‘anu’ is that such is the usage of all cultured men.—(93)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 406);—and in Nītimayūkha (p. 81).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 7.91-93)

See Comparative notes for Verse 7.91.