356 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 7

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 tor the sake of sense gratification. If the enemy hap-
pened 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, but it was carried
out on religious principles free from all vices. Violence carried out on
religious principles is far superior to so-called nonviolence.

TEXT 37

ATT A: TAT: ATM AIT: A
aoa fF aa AeA: TAI 8a

sva-pranan yah parapranaih
prapusnaty aghrnah khalah
tad-vadhas tasya hi sreyo
yad dosad yaty adhah puman

sva-pranan—one’s own life; yah—one who; parapranaih—at the cost of
others’ lives; prapusnati— maintains properly: aghmah—shameless; khalah—
wretched; tat-vadhah—killing of him; tasya—his: hi—certainly: sreyah—
well-being: yat—by which; dosat—by the fault: yati-goes: adhah—down-
wards; puman—a person.

TRANSLATION

A cruel and wretched person who maintains his existence at the cost
of others’ lives deserves to be killed for his own well-being, otherwise he
will go down by his own actions.

PURPORT

A life for a life is just punishment for a person who cruelly and shame-
lessly lives at the cost of another’s life. Political morality is to punish a
