Shloka 39
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
ये सपत्ना: सपत्नानां सर्वास्तानुपसेवयेत् । आत्मनश्षापि बोद्धव्याक्षारा विनिहता: परै:
ye sapatnāḥ sapatnānāṁ sarvāṁs tān upasevayet | ātmanaś cāpi boddhavyāḥ cārā vinihatāḥ paraiḥ ||
قال بهيشما: ينبغي للمرء أن يستميل ويستفيد من كل من كان عدوًّا لأعدائه. وعليه كذلك أن يجتهد في تمييز الجواسيس الذين زرعهم الآخرون عليه. ومغزى ذلك سياسةٌ واقعية: تقوية الموقف بتحالفاتٍ محسوبة مع دوام اليقظة من الأخطار الخفية.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should practice pragmatic diplomacy: cultivate those who oppose one’s opponents (the ‘enemy’s enemy’) and simultaneously maintain strong counterintelligence by identifying spies planted by rivals.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship (rājadharma), Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on practical governance—how to secure support through strategic associations and how to protect the realm by detecting hostile espionage.