Dharma-yuddha is a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

word made up of two roots: ''

dharma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear Untranslatability, translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold ...

'' (धर्म) meaning righteousness, and ''yuddha'' (युद्ध) meaning warfare. In the Hindu Scriptures, dharma-yuddha refers to a holy war or battle that is fought while following several rules that make the war fair. For instance, in a righteous war, equals fight equals.

Chariot A chariot is a type of vehicle similar to a cart, driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid Propulsion, motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk O ...

warriors are not supposed to attack

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

and

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

, those on

elephants Elephants are the Largest and heaviest animals, largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian ele ...

are not supposed to attack

, and so on. The rules also forbid the usage of celestial weapons (divine weapons bestowed by the

gods A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

) on ordinary soldiers (as opposed to warriors of noble birth). The build-up of weapons and armies is done with the full knowledge of the opposing side and no surprise attacks are made. The rules of engagement also set out how warriors were to deal with non-combatants. No one should attack an enemy who has temporarily lost or dropped their weapon. The lives of women, ascetics, prisoners of wars, and farmers were also sacred. Pillaging the land was forbidden. Dharma-yuddha also signifies that the war is not fought for gain or selfish reasons. A dharma-yuddha is waged to uphold the principles of righteousness.

In the ''Mahabharata''

In the ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

'' epic, which describes the Kurukshetra War, the two sides agree on the following rules: * Fighting must begin no earlier than sunrise and, should end by exact sunset. (Broken on the 14th day, after Jayadratha was slain). * Multiple warriors must not attack a single warrior. (Broken several times, most notably in the 13th day, when Abhimanyu was slain). * Two warriors may duel, or engage in prolonged personal combat, only if they carry the same weapons and they are on the same mount (no mount, a horse, an elephant, or a chariot). (Broken several times). * No warrior may kill or injure a warrior who has surrendered. (Violated when Satyaki slew an unarmed Bhurishravas). * One who surrenders becomes a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

and will then be subject to the protections of a

. * No warrior may kill or injure an unarmed warrior. (Broken when Arjuna slew Karna when the latter was unarmed trying to take out his chariot wheel from mud). * No warrior may kill or injure an unconscious warrior. (Broken when Abhimanyu was slain). * No warrior may kill or injure a person or animal not taking part in the war. (Broken several times when warriors slew horses and charioteers of their enemies). * No warrior may kill or injure a warrior whose back is turned away. (

Shakuni Shakuni (, , ) is one of the antagonists of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He was the prince of the kingdom of Gandhara when introduced, later becoming its king after the death of his father, Subala. He was the brother of Gandhari (Mahabharata), ...

and Arjuna broke that rule). * No warrior may strike an animal not considered a direct threat. (Broken when

Bhima Bhima (, ), also known as Bhimasena (, ), is a hero and one of the most prominent characters in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. As the second of the five Pandava brothers, Bhima was born to Kunti—the wife of King Pandu—fathered by Vayu, the ...

killed an elephant of

Ashwathama Ashvatthama (, , also spelt as Ashwatthama and Ashvatthaman) is a character in the ancient Indian epic poetry, Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the son of Drona, the royal preceptor to the Kuru princes—the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Ashvatt ...

). * The rules specific to each weapon must be followed. For example, it is prohibited to strike below the waist in mace warfare (Broken in the final combat of

and Duryodhana on night of final day of war).

Other texts

Beyond the ''Mahabharata'', the principles of dharma-yuddha are referred to in many other ancient Indian texts, including the ''

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

'' and the ''Dharmashastras'' or law texts.

References

External links

Lessons from India’s wars: Hindus need a new Dharma Yuddha

Chennai Online
Comparison of the nighttime fighting rule in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. {{HinduMythology Mahabharata Law of war

In the ''Mahabharata''

Other texts

See also

References

External links