Shloka 18
समेत्य तास्ततश्चक्करु: समयानिति न: श्रुतम् । वाक्शूरो दण्डपरुषो यश्च स्यात् पारजायिक:
sametya tāstataścakruḥ samayān iti naḥ śrutam | vākśūro daṇḍaparuṣo yaś ca syāt pārājayikaḥ ||
ভীষ্মে ক’লে—আমি শুনিছোঁ, তেওঁলোকে একেলগে গোট খাই পৰস্পৰৰ মাজত চুক্তি স্থিৰ কৰিছিল। কিন্তু যি কেৱল কথাত বীৰ, দণ্ডত কঠোৰ, আৰু আনক পৰাজিত কৰাত আসক্ত—সেইজন এনে ঐক্যৰ যোগ্য নহয়।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Lasting agreements (samaya) require restraint and integrity; mere verbal bravado and punitive harshness, driven by a desire to defeat others, undermines concord and righteous governance.
Bhīṣma reports a traditional account: after gathering, a group established mutual compacts; he then cautions that a person who is only bold in speech and severe in punishment, aiming at others’ defeat, is unsuitable for maintaining such agreements.