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

SB 1.7.36 P        The Son of Drona Punished
                              

                   TEXT

mattam pramattam unmattam
 suptam balam striyam jadam
 prapannam viratham bhitam
 na ripum hanti dharma-vit

               SYNONYMS

   mattam--careless; pramattam--intoxicated; unmattam--insane; suptam--asleep; balam--boy; striyam--woman; jadam--foolish; prapannam--surrendered; viratham--one who has lost his chariot; bhitam--afraid; na--not; ripum--enemy; hanti--kill; dharma-vit--one who knows the principles of religion.

                               TRANSLATION

   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.

                                       PURPORT

   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.