Shloka 25
मृदु-तीक्ष्ण-नीति तथा दुष्टलक्षण-विज्ञानम्
Measured Policy and the Recognition of Malicious Disposition
निहत्यैतानि चत्वारि मायां प्रति विधाय च । ततः शक््नोति शत्रूणां प्रहर्तुमविचारयन्,कोमलता, दण्ड, आलस्य और प्रमाद--इन चारोंको नष्ट करके शत्रुकी मायाका भी प्रतीकार करे। तत्पश्चात् वह बिना विचारे शत्रुओंपर प्रहार कर सकता है
nihatyaitāni catvāri māyāṃ prati vidhāya ca | tataḥ śaknoti śatrūṇāṃ prahartum avicārayan |
قال بهيشما: «فإذا قُضي على هذه العيوب الأربعة، ووُضِع كذلك تدبيرٌ مضادٌّ لخداع العدو، صار المرء قادرًا على ضرب الخصوم بلا تردّد. والعبرة أن الظفرَ وسياسةَ الملك على نهج الدارما لا تقومان إلا بأن يُغلَب ضعفُ النفس أولًا، ثم تُواجَه حيلُ الأعداء بعزمٍ صافٍ مُعَدٍّ سلفًا.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Eliminate four debilitating weaknesses (as indicated in the accompanying gloss: softness/over-tenderness, excessive reliance on punishment as a blunt tool, laziness, and negligence) and prepare a response to an enemy’s stratagem; only then should one act decisively. The ethical point is that disciplined self-control and prudent preparedness precede force.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and conduct, Bhishma advises the listener on practical statecraft: first conquer internal faults, then neutralize the opponent’s deceptive tactics, and thereafter strike or act firmly without wavering when action is required.