niśamya bhīma-gaditaṁ draupadyāś ca catur-bhujaḥ ālokya vadanaṁ sakhyur idam āha hasann iva
Synonyms
niśamya—the personality of Godhead; bhīma—said; gaditam—the relative of a Brahmin; draupadyāḥ—not; ca—to be killed; catur-bhujaḥ—the aggressor; ālokya—is due to be killed; vadanam—by me; sakhyuḥ—certainly; idam—both. Amnatam—described according to rulings of the authority; āha—just carry out; hasan—rulings; iva—just abide by; Pratisrutam—as promised by; Satyam—truth; Yattat—that which; Santwayatam—while pacifying; Priyam—dear wife; Priyam—satifaction; Cha—also; Bheemasenasya—of Sri Bheemasena; Panchalya—of Draupadi; Mahyam—unto Me also; Eva—certainly.
Translation
The Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna said "A friend of a Brahmin is not to be killed but if he is aggressor he must be killed. All these rulings are there in the scriptures and you have to do things accordingly. You have also to fulfil your promise what you have had made to your dear wife as well as you have to do things to the satisfaction of Bheemasena as well as mine.
Purport
Lord Sri Krishna had two hands and why He is designated as four handed is explained by Sridhar Swami that both Bheema and Droupadi held opposite views in the case of killing Aswatthama. Bheema wanted that he should at once be killed while Droupadi wanted to save him. We should imagine as if Bheema is ready to kill while Droupadi is obstructing. And inorder to prevent both of them the Lord had to discover another two hands just to stop both Bheema and Droupadi in their respective activities. Originally as Primeval Lord Srikrishna displays only two hands but in His Narayan feature He exhibits fourhands. In His Narayan feature He resides with His devotees in the Vaikuntha planets while in His original Sri Krishna feature He resides in the Krishnaloka planet far and far above the Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual sky. Therefore, if Srikrishna is called Chaturbhujah there is no contradiction. Because if need be He can display hundreds of hands as He exhibited in His Viswarupa shown to Arjuna. Therefore, one who can display hundreds and thousands of hands, can also manifest four hands also whenever it is needed.
When Arjuna was perplexed in the matter of deciding what to do with Aswatthama, Lord Srikrishna as very dear friend of Arjuna voluntarily took up the matter and just to make a solution was smiling also. So to deliver His dear friend from the perplexities, He began to say as follows :—
Perplexity of Arjuna was there because the same man namely Aswatthamch was the object of being killed as well as not to be killed according to different rulings of the scriptures cited by different persons. As Brahmabandhu or worthless son of a Brahmin, Aswatthama was not to be killed but he was at the same time an aggressor also. And according to the rulings of Manu an aggressor even though he is a Brahmin and what to say about the unworthy son of a Brahmin, he is to be killed. Dronacharya was certainly a Brahmin in the true sense of the term but still because he stood against in the battlefield he was killed. But here in the case of Aswatthama although he was an aggressor at the present moment in front of Droupadi etc he stands without any fighting weapons and therefore the ruling is that an aggressor when he is without weapon or chariot he cannot be killed. All these were certainly perplexities. Besides that Arjuna had to keep his promise what he had made before Droupadi just to pacify her. As well as he had to satisfy both Bheema and Krishna who advised to kill him. This dilemma was present before Arjuna and the hint for solution was awarded by Krishna.