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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1874.
is cut. [An enemy when wounded) is to be when he has conquered, spares: his enemies cured in [the conqueror's] own country, or trust him even if he has committed agreat fault." sent to his home, -when a quarrel arises among [In v: 8235 of the same book the same sengood men, and the unfortunate man is virtuous. timent is put into Bali's mouth : " They call If not wounded, he is to be released, - this is him a man who, when he is strong, shows mercy the eternal law. Wherefore Manu Svayambhuva to a heroic enemy who has fallen into his enjoined that men should fight righteously. hands and is in his power." Similarly in the The wicked Kshatriya who professing to Ramayana, vi 18. 27 f. (Bombay ed.) it is said : fight fairly (? dharmasangarah) acts treacher- "Having humanity in view, let not a warrior ously and conquers by unrighteousness, destroys slay even a humbled enemy who seeks refuge himself. Such conduct is charaeteristic of bad and with joined hands implores (mercy). An men: but the wicked should be overcome by vir- enemy, be he depressed or proud, who takes tuous action. It is better to die by acting righte- refuge with his opponent is to be protected by ously than to conquer by sinful procedure... a man of understanding, even at the sacrifice 3557. A king should not seek to conquer the of his own life."] A king is to seek for victory earth by injustice ... Such conquost is of short by eminence in all science, not by deceit, or duration, does not conduct to heaven, and ruins hypocrisy (v. 3580). Yudhishthira here exboth the conqueror and the earth. He is not presses an opinion that no duties are worse after capturing, to slay a foe whose armour is frac- than those of a Kshatriya; since a king, tured, one who calls out 'I am thy (prisoner],' whether by flight or by battle, causes the one who joins his hands, or who lays down his death of numbers of men. He therefore asks arms." (Compare vv. 3708 ff.) The sense of how he is to act so as to gain heaven (v. 3581 f.). the next lines (vv. 3560 f.) is not very clear. After some commonplaces on the duty of punishThey run thus : "Let not a king fight against ing the bad, favouring the good, performing a man who has vanquished by force : let him sacrifice, &c., Bhishma represents the profession wait for a year, in order that he may be born of a warrior in quite a different light, expatiates again from himself." [Which, according to the on the merits and celestial rewards of valour, commentator, means: "Let him teach him to and declares that it is a violation of a Kshasay I am thy slave' then even if after a year lietriya's duty to die in bed (vv. 3603 ff.) Furdoes not say these words, let him be born, i.e. iner on (vv. 3623 ff.), battle is compared to a become the son of his conqueror, and then be sacrifice, in which elephants are the ritviks, released." 3561. “A maiden captured by force horses the adhvaryus, the flesh of the enemies is not befcre the lapse of a year to be asked" the oblations, &c. &c. Subsequently, however, we [Dost thou choose us, or any one else (for thy find sentiments like the following (v. 3769) :husband ?) according to the commentator. If, " Victory gained by fighting is the worst kind he goes on, she chooses another person, she is of victory :" and (v. 3785) “A fierce king is not to be detained]. “So, too, as regards all hateful to men; and they despise a mild printe. property and anything else captured by vio- Both qualities therefore are to be united. When lence" (that is, says the commentator, anything about to smite, and even when smiting, a king taken away by fraud, -male and female slaves, should speak kindly: and when he has smitten &c., -is to be restored at the end of a year]. 3562. he should compassionate, as if lamenting and "But the property of persons who ought to be weeping (saying), It is not pleasing to me that slain (robbers, &c., comm.) is not to be kept for men are killed in battle by my soldiers : though them. Let the Brâhmaņs use it, and drink milk, again and again commanded, they do not perand drive bullocks in their cars, or (if the form my bidding. Oh, I desire life : such a man captive is not a robber, comm.] let mercy as this does not deserve to be slain: brave men be shown [let his property be restored, comm.). who do not flee in battle are very rare : the A flying enemy is not to be pressed (v. 3677). v. soldier by whom this man was slain has done 3782. "The renown of that king increases who, an act displeasing to me.' While speaking in
• A verse in the Udyogaparvan (1426), however, is conceived in a different spirit: "An enemy who comes into one's power, who when on the point of being killed prostrates himself in submission is not to be let go. Such a foe is to be slain while one has the power; for if pared he would soon cause apprehension." Similarly Adip. 5562 f., 5666, and 5563 ff. and Santip. 5293 f.
