Shloka 49
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
अभ्युत्थानाभिवादाभ्यां सम्प्रदानेन केनचित् । प्रतिपुष्पफलाघाती तीक्ष्णतुण्ड इव द्विज:
abhyutthānābhivādābhyāṃ sampradānena kenacit | pratipuṣpaphalāghātī tīkṣṇatuṇḍa iva dvijaḥ ||
قال بهيشما: «بالقيام لاستقباله، وبإظهار التحية والإجلال، وبإهداء هديةٍ ما، ينبغي أولًا إدخال العدو تحت نفوذك. ثم، كطائرٍ حادّ المنقار يضرب كل زهرةٍ وثمرةٍ على الشجرة، هاجم موارده ومقاصده—وأفسد على نحوٍ منهجيٍّ وسائله وغاياته معًا.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches a rāja-nīti tactic: first disarm an adversary through courtesy, respect, and gifts to gain leverage; then weaken him by targeting both his ‘means’ (resources, supports) and ‘ends’ (goals, outcomes) in a thorough, step-by-step manner.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and policy, Bhishma is advising the listener on how a ruler should deal with hostile parties—beginning with diplomatic gestures and then proceeding, when necessary, to calculated measures that undermine the opponent’s capacity and objectives.