Brave and pious heroes never shoot their arrows at persons with disheveled hairs, at those who fly away from the battle-field, at a Brahmana, at him who clasps his hands, at him who surrenders, at him who prays for quarter, at one who throws off his weapon, at one whose arrows are all gone, or at one whose weapon has fallen off or been broken. Your are the brave and pious of all in the world. You know all the rules at warfare.
न त्वं कापुरुषाचीर्ण मार्गमास्थातचुमर्हसि। ख्यातस्त्वमसि कौन्तेय विशिष्टो रणकर्मसु॥ विशिष्टतरमेव त्वं कर्तुमर्हसि पाण्डव। प्रकीर्णकेशे विमुखे ब्राह्मणेऽथ कृताञ्जलौ॥ शरणागते न्यस्तशस्त्रे यातमाने तथार्जुन। अबाणे भ्रष्टकवचे भ्रष्टभग्नायुधे तथा॥ न विमुञ्चन्ति शस्त्राणि शूराः साधुव्रते स्थितः। त्वं च शूरतमो लोके साधुवृत्तश्च पाण्डवः॥ अभिज्ञो युद्धधर्माणां वेदान्तावभृथाप्लुतः। दिव्यास्त्रविदमेयात्मा कार्तवीर्यसमो युधि॥