I shall always protect you. Give me the just
tribute or encounter me in battle.' If the people accept him for their
king, there need not be any fighting. If, without being Kshatriyas by
birth, they show signs of hostility, they should then, observant as they
are of practices not laid down for them, be sought to be restrained by
every means. People of the other orders do take up arms (for resisting
the invader) if they behold the Kshatriya unarmed for fight, incapable of
protecting himself, and making too much of the enemy.'[279]
"Yudhishthira said 'Tell me, O grandsire, how that Kshatriya king should
conduct himself in fight who advances against another Kshatriya king.'
"Bhishma said, 'A Kshatriya must not put on armour for fighting a
Kshatriya unclad in mail. One should fight one, and abandon the opponent
when the latter becomes disabled.[280] If the enemy comes clad in mail,
his opponent also should put on mail. If the enemy advances backed by an
army, one should, backed by an army, challenge him to battle. If the
enemy fights aided by deceit, he should be met with the aid of deceit.
If, on the other hand, he fights fairly, he should be resisted with fair
means. One should not on horseback proceed against a car-warrior. A
car-warrior should proceed against a car-warrior. When an antagonist has
fallen into distress, he should not be struck; nor should one that has
been frightened, nor one that has been vanquished.[281] Neither poisoned
nor barbed arrows should be used.
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