The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s5.210

c2.s5.210

As a general rule, a knight is killed without mercy. We saw above, however, that Arjuna wishes to capture Droṇa alive, or rather to spare him; and so Duryodhana requests Droṇa himself not to kill Yudhiṣṭhira, but to capture him alive and bring him before him.* Those ‘fated to be killed by one’ are avoided by others (vii. 123. 36). And, not to say there is no magnanimity, let us close these typical passages by one rare, and in its rarity worth noticing. Karṇa does not take the life of Nakula who has attacked him; he disarms, but does not slay. Giving him his life, he says, ‘Go now, fight with thy equals; depart.’ So the knight ‘ready to die was spared by Karṇa; and he returned, ashamed’ (viii. 24. 48 ff.).