Ethical Justifications for War
Ethical Justifications for War in Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata
SWOT of Ethical Justifications for War
Systematic ethical framework for any
Warfare of
Opposing sides is
The vital requirement .
Introduction
The Mahabharata presents one of the earliest and most
sophisticated discussions of the ethics of war in world literature. Among its
many books, Bhishma Parva occupies a crucial place, as it not only
narrates the opening phase of the Kurukshetra war but also outlines a moral
framework governing warfare. The Jamvukhanda Vinirmana sub‑parva
of Bhishma Parva explicitly records pre‑war agreements between the
Kurus, Pandavas, and Somakas regarding the conduct of war, thereby offering an
early formulation of just war principles in ancient India.
Concept of Dharma‑Yuddha (Righteous War)
The ethical justification for war in Bhishma Parva is
grounded in the concept of dharma‑yuddha, or righteous war. War is not
portrayed as inherently virtuous but as morally permissible only when conducted
under strict ethical restraints. The fact that opposing sides mutually
agree upon rules before the first day of battle highlights that war, though
inevitable, must remain subordinated to dharma rather than brute force
or vengeance.
This consensual framing distinguishes dharma‑yuddha
from wars of conquest or annihilation and establishes moral responsibility as
central to warfare.
Principle of Fairness in Combat
One of the foundational ethical rules agreed upon before the
war is the principle of fairness. The text clearly states that “every battle
must be fair” and that only armed and actively fighting soldiers may be
attacked. This rule excludes civilians and non‑combatants from legitimate
targets of violence.
Such an injunction reflects an early moral distinction
between combatants and non‑combatants, anticipating later ethical theories of
warfare that emphasize discrimination and restraint. The ethical legitimacy of
war, therefore, depends not merely on cause but also on conduct.
Proportionality and Equality of Arms
A significant ethical justification articulated in Bhishma
Parva is the principle of proportional and equitable response. The text
specifies that warriors should engage only their counterparts: chariot warriors
against chariot warriors, horsemen against horsemen, and verbal combatants with
words rather than weapons.
Furthermore, weapons that cause “disproportionate suffering
or slaughter” are explicitly prohibited. This establishes proportionality as a
moral constraint, ensuring that the means of warfare do not exceed ethical
bounds. The legitimacy of war thus depends on limiting violence to what is
necessary rather than what is possible.
Protection of the Surrendered and the Vulnerable
The ethical framework of Bhishma Parva extends
compassion even to enemy combatants. An enemy soldier who surrenders is not to
be harmed but treated with kindness and respect. Similarly, a disarmed or
injured enemy must be helped rather than killed.
These rules underline the idea that hostility ends once an
opponent is incapacitated. Moral duty supersedes enmity, reinforcing the notion
that war is a tragic necessity rather than a license for cruelty.
Immunity of Non‑Combatant Support Staff
Another striking ethical justification found in Bhishma
Parva is the explicit protection of logistical and support personnel.
Individuals who announce the start or end of battle or those responsible for
food and equipment must not be attacked or injured.
This rule reinforces the moral boundary between combat and
support functions and affirms that ethical warfare requires minimizing harm
beyond the battlefield.
Ethical Vision of War in the Mahabharata
Taken together, these principles demonstrate that Bhishma
Parva does not glorify violence but subjects it to rigorous ethical
scrutiny. War is justified only when it adheres to fairness, proportionality,
compassion, and respect for human dignity. The moral legitimacy of the
Kurukshetra war, therefore, rests not on victory or power but on adherence to
these agreed norms.
Conclusion
The Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata provides
a remarkably systematic ethical framework for warfare rooted in dharma.
By emphasizing fairness, proportionality, protection of the vulnerable, and
restraint in violence, it offers an ancient yet sophisticated theory of just
war. These principles underscore that in the Mahabharata, war is
ethically justified only when it remains governed by moral law, reinforcing the
primacy of dharma even amidst conflict.
“Rules before force” (pre‑commitment to restraint; law
over rage)
Panchatantra — “Crows and Owls” (Book III: War and Peace)
A crow‑king faces nightly attacks by an owl‑king and calls
a council to weigh the classic options (peace, war, alliances, strategy)
rather than rushing into revenge. The story’s moral centre is that even when
conflict is real, decision must be deliberative and rule‑governed—because
uncontrolled retaliation destroys the weak first.
Hitopadeśa — “Book Three: War (Vigraha)” (frame: when to
wage war, when to restrain it)
This section explicitly treats how a ruler should wage
war and repeatedly stresses restraint—e.g., the idea that forgiveness
can be a higher ornament than bravado, and that wise counsel matters more
than impulsive violence. It’s essentially “statecraft as ethical constraint.”
Chinese Judge Bao tradition — “Chenzhou Grain” (Justice
as the alternative to mob violence)
In the famous legend of “Chenzhou Grain,” Judge Bao
uncovers corruption connected to grain meant for relief—showing that public
harm is corrected by impartial legal process, not private revenge. Legitimacy
rests on conduct and justice, not power.
Kafka — “Before the Law”
A man seeks access to “the Law” but spends his entire life
waiting at the gate, bribing the doorkeeper, never entering. As a war‑ethics
parallel, it warns that when justice becomes unreachable, people drift
toward extra‑legal force—and that a society that blocks lawful redress
breeds moral catastrophe.
2) Fairness & discrimination (don’t harm the
uninvolved; don’t call cruelty “justice”)
Aesop — “The Wolf and the Lamb”
A wolf wants to eat a lamb and manufactures excuses (“you
muddied my water… you insulted me… your family did it”). It’s a classic anatomy
of unjust violence: when a stronger party has decided to harm, it will
invent “legal” language after the fact. That’s the opposite of dharma‑yuddha’s
fairness requirement.
La Fontaine — “The Two Bulls and the Frog”
Two powerful bulls fight over dominance; a frog fears
(correctly) that the loser will trample the small folk while wandering through
their marsh. The fable’s sting is that the powerless suffer for the pride
and rivalry of the great. There is always a need to protect non‑combatants
and to limit spillover harm.
La Fontaine — “The Frogs Who Asked for a King”
Frogs demand a stronger ruler; they get one—and it begins to
devour them. As a war‑ethics analogue, it warns against choosing “more
force” as a solution without foreseeing the moral costs: demanding harsher
power can legitimize cruelty against the very people who asked for it.
Tagore — “The Parrot’s Training”
A king wants to “educate” a parrot, but the system focuses
on the golden cage, paperwork, and bureaucracy, while the living bird
suffers. As a conflict ethic, it’s a parable about institutional violence:
when systems prioritize and value control and display, they will harm the
vulnerable while claiming to “improve” them.
3) Proportionality (don’t answer harm with worse harm;
match means to moral limits)
Mulla Nasruddin / Juha tradition — “Twenty Thankas
Instead of a Slap”
A man slaps Nasruddin by mistake and apologizes; Nasruddin
still takes him to court. The judge orders a slap in return; Nasruddin instead
asks for money—turning retaliation into measured compensation. It’s a
folk version of proportional justice: response should fit harm, not escalate
it.
Orwell — “Shooting an Elephant” (imperial force as moral
trap)
Orwell describes being pressured by the crowd into killing
an elephant he believes no longer poses a threat—an act he frames as moral
cowardice under social expectation. As war‑ethics, it’s about how
“authority” can become slavery to optics, producing disproportionate
violence just to avoid looking weak.
Modern economics parable — Bastiat’s “The Broken Window”
A crowd claims a broken shop window is “good” because it
creates work; Bastiat exposes the unseen loss. In conflict terms, it
rebukes the lie that destruction is productive: harm has hidden victims and
opportunity costs (a proportionality lens on policy and war).
4) Mercy to the surrendered / protection of the
vulnerable (hostility ends when incapacity begins)
Aesop — “The Lion and the Mouse”
A lion spares a mouse; later, the mouse frees the lion from
a hunter’s net. Ethically, the story argues that mercy is not weakness—it’s
a moral investment that can restore life and dignity, sparing the surrendered
and aiding the injured.
Attar — “A Ruffian Spares the Life of a Poor Man” (bread‑bond
as restraint)
A bandit drags a wretch home intending to kill him—then sees
the man has been given bread by the bandit’s wife. The bandit refuses to kill,
saying that to draw a knife against someone who has shared your bread
violates the law of hospitality. It’s a near‑perfect parallel to “don’t
strike the disarmed/surrendered”: once a person is under your protection,
hostility becomes immoral.
Tolstoy — “The Three Questions”
A king learns (through action, not theory) that the “right
time” is now, the “right person” is the one before you, and the “most important
task” is to do good to that person—especially when they are vulnerable. In just‑war
terms: ethics begins at the moment you meet the human being, not after victory.
5) De‑escalation by insight (stop the fight by dissolving
the illusion that demands it)
Zen Koan — “Not the Wind; Not the Flag”
Two monks argue over whether wind moves or a flag moves; Hui‑neng
interrupts: “It is your mind that moves.” Applied to conflict ethics, it says:
many fights persist because sides cling to labels; step outside the frame
and the quarrel loses its fuel—a spiritual version of pre‑war agreement and
restraint.
Anansi — “Anansi and the Tug o’ War”
Anansi challenges two giants (e.g., Elephant and
Whale/Hippo) and tricks them into pulling against each other. Ethically re‑read:
it’s a tale of “winning without direct violence”—strategy that avoids
bloodshed and shows that raw force isn’t the only tool.
Native American Coyote — “Coyote and the Ducks”
Coyote persuades ducks to close their eyes and sing while he
kills them—until one duck opens his eyes and warns the rest. The ethical lesson
is explicit: never surrender awareness to charismatic authority; blind
obedience is how atrocities happen.
6) Grimm moral tales (justice after violence; betrayal
condemned; protection of innocents)
Grimm — “The Two Brothers” (KHM 60)
Twin brothers gain skill and face a dragon threat; one
defeats the dragon, later a witch turns him to stone, and the other rescues
him—until jealousy leads to fratricide and eventual restoration. Read
ethically: the tale condemns treachery and unjust killing, while framing
“legitimate violence” as the defense of innocents against a monster, not ego.
7) Jātaka (explicit moral governance: why righteous
leadership prevents war‑like suffering)
Jātaka 520 — “Ganda‑Tindu Jataka (It’s All the King’s
Fault)”
A kingdom decays under an unjust king; a deva warns him that
negligent rule ruins people and leads to disaster. It places responsibility
where your document places it too: ethical legitimacy begins with leadership
that restrains harm—because systemic injustice is a kind of slow war on the
vulnerable.
8) Tenali Raman & Akbar–Birbal (courtroom ethics:
intention, evidence, and compassionate exceptions)
Akbar–Birbal — “Birbal and the Broken Court Rule”
A strict rule says no late entry; a farmer arrives late
because he helped a wounded man. Birbal argues the farmer broke a rule but
followed a higher one—compassion—and the emperor reframes the rule “with
wisdom.” This is dharma‑yuddha logic applied to governance: rules exist to
protect life, not punish goodness.
Tenali Raman — “An Advisor Who Told The Truth” (from a
Tenali collection index)
This chapter title and synopsis context present Tenali as
the king’s trusted court figure associated with justice and advisory
integrity. In war‑ethics terms, the Tenali tradition repeatedly valorises telling
truth that prevents rulers from sliding into harmful decisions.
9) Modern “corporate/political” parables (short, usable
analogues of dharma‑yuddha rules)
Deming — “The Red Bead Experiment”
Workers are ranked and punished for “defects” that are produced
by the system (the bead mix), proving the fallacy of scapegoating individuals.
The war‑ethics analogue: blame must track causes, and moral legitimacy
requires fixing the system (rules, constraints, training), not unleashing
punishment.
Google/X “Monkey and the Pedestal”
If the mission is “a monkey must perform on a pedestal,” you
must solve the hard part first (train the monkey), not the easy optics (build
the pedestal). Applied to conflict: solve the ethical constraint first
(rules of engagement, protection of innocents), not the glamorous machinery of
force.
Broken Windows Theory (culture of small, tolerated harms
→ larger harms)
The theory argues visible tolerated disorder signals that
“no one cares,” inviting worse breakdown. In conflict ethics, small violations
(dehumanizing language, petty cruelty, rule‑bending) are the first “broken
windows” that later justify atrocities—so enforce restraint early.
“Who Moved My Cheese?” (change without panic or
aggression)
Four characters react differently when their “cheese”
disappears; the story teaches adapting rather than raging. In conflict terms:
when resources/status shift, ethics demands flexibility and non‑catastrophic
thinking, not immediate escalation to force.
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