Text 40
sūta uvāca
evaṁ parīkṣatā dharmaṁ
pārthaḥ kṛṣṇena coditaḥ
naicchad dhantuṁ guru-sutaṁ
yadyapy ātma-hanaṁ mahān
sūtaḥ — Sūta Gosvāmī; uvāca — said; evam — this; parīkṣatā — being examined; dharmam — in the matter of duty; pārthaḥ — Śrī Arjuna; kṛṣṇena — by Lord Kṛṣṇa; coditaḥ — being encouraged; na aicchat — did not like; hantum — to kill; guru-sutam — the son of his teacher; yadyapi — although; ātma-hanam — murderer of sons; mahān — very great.
スータ・ゴースワミーは言った：クリシュナは宗教的にアルジュナをテストして、ドローナチャーリヤの息子を殺すように勇気づけた。しかし、アルジュナは偉大な魂で彼を殺すという考えが好きではなかった。それは、アシュワッターマがアルジュナの家族の者の極悪な殺害者であったのだが。
Arjuna was a great soul undoubtedly, which is proved here also. He is encouraged herein personally by the Lord to kill the son of Droṇa, but Arjuna considers that the son of his great teacher should be spared, for he happens to be the son of Droṇācārya, even though he is an unworthy son, having done all sorts of heinous acts whimsically for no one’s benefit.
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa encouraged Arjuna outwardly just to test Arjuna’s sense of duty. It is not that Arjuna was incomplete in the sense of his duty, nor was Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa unaware of Arjuna’s sense of duty. But Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa puts to the test many of His pure devotees just to magnify the sense of duty. The gopīs were put to such tests as well. Prahlāda Mahārāja also was put to such a test. All pure devotees come out successful in the respective tests by the Lord.