Shloka 41
मृदु-तीक्ष्ण-नीति तथा दुष्टलक्षण-विज्ञानम्
Measured Policy and the Recognition of Malicious Disposition
मायाविभेदानुपसर्जनानि तथैव पापं न यशःप्रयोगात् । आप्तैर्मनुष्यैरुपचारयेत पुरेषु राष्ट्रेषु च सम्प्रयुक्तान्
bhīṣma uvāca |
māyā-vibhedānupasarjanāni tathaiva pāpaṁ na yaśaḥ-prayogāt |
āptair manuṣyair upacārayet pureṣu rāṣṭreṣu ca samprayuktān ||
قال بهيشما: ينبغي للملك، بواسطة رجالٍ موثوقين، أن يحرّك شتى الحيل—فيُنشئ الشقاق ويُثير العداوات المتبادلة داخل مدن العدو وأقاليمه. وله أيضًا أن يزرع هناك عيونًا متخفّين في زيٍّ مستعار. غير أنه، صونًا لسمعته الحسنة، يجب أن يضمن ألا يصدر من جانبه فعلٌ آثم كالسَّرقة أو الاغتيال الخفي، بحجة السياسة.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches a balance in rājadharma: a king may use strategic deception—such as sowing dissension and deploying spies—against enemies, but must restrain himself from intrinsically sinful acts (e.g., theft, covert murder) so that policy does not destroy moral legitimacy and public honor (yaśas).
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on practical governance and security. Here he outlines covert measures to weaken hostile states from within, while simultaneously warning that the king must protect his own reputation by forbidding criminal excesses committed in the name of strategy.