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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.53-54
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXTS 53-54
- śrī-bhagavān uvāca
- brahma-bandhur na hantavya
- ātatāyī vadhārhaṇaḥ
- mayaivobhayam āmnātaṁ
- paripāhy anuśāsanam
- kuru pratiśrutaṁ satyaṁ
- yat tat sāntvayatā priyām
- priyaṁ ca bhīmasenasya
- pāñcālyā mahyam eva ca
śrīthe Personality of Godhead-bhagavānthe Personality of Godhead — the Personality of Godhead; uvācasaid — said; brahmathe relative of a brāhmaṇa-bandhuḥthe relative of a brāhmaṇa — the relative of a brāhmaṇa; nanot — not; hantavyaḥto be killed — to be killed; ātatāyīthe aggressor — the aggressor; vadhais due to be killed-arhaṇaḥis due to be killed — is due to be killed; mayāby Me — by Me; evacertainly — certainly; ubhayamboth — both; āmnātamdescribed according to rulings of the authority — described according to rulings of the authority; paripāhicarry out — carry out; anuśāsanamrulings — rulings; kuruabide by — abide by; pratiśrutamas promised by — as promised by; satyamtruth — truth; yatthat which tatthat which — that which; sāntvayatāwhile pacifying — while pacifying; priyāmdear wife — dear wife; priyamsatisfaction — satisfaction; caalso — also; bhīmasenasyaof Śrī Bhīmasena — of Śrī Bhīmasena; pāñcālyāḥof Draupadī — of Draupadī; mahyamunto Me also — unto Me also; evacertainly — certainly; caand — and.
The Personality of Godhead Sri Kṛṣṇa said: A friend of a brāhmaṇa is not to be killed, but if he is an aggressor he must be killed. All these rulings are in the scriptures, and you should act accordingly. You have to fulfill your promise to your wife, and you must also act to the satisfaction of Bhīmasena and Me.
Arjuna was perplexed because Aśvatthāmā was to be killed as well as spared according to different scriptures cited by different persons. As a brahma-bandhu, or a worthless son of a brāhmaṇa, Aśvatthāmā was not to be killed, but he was at the same time an aggressor also. And according to the rulings of Manu, an aggressor, even though he be a brāhmaṇa (and what to speak of an unworthy son of a brāhmaṇa), is to be killed. Droṇācārya was certainly a brāhmaṇa in the true sense of the term, but because he stood in the battlefield he was killed. But although Aśvatthāmā was an aggressor, he stood without any fighting weapons. The ruling is that an aggressor, when he is without weapon or chariot, cannot be killed. All these were certainly perplexities. Besides that, Arjuna had to keep the promise he had made before Draupadī just to pacify her. And he also had to satisfy both Bhīma and Kṛṣṇa, who advised killing him. This dilemma was present before Arjuna, and the solution was awarded by Kṛṣṇa.