Shloka 8
आपद्धर्मे राज्ञः नीतिः — Bharadvāja’s Counsel on Crisis-Statecraft (Śānti Parva 138)
अनागतमनर्थ हि सुनयैर्य: प्रबाधयेत् । स न संशयमाप्रोति रोचतां भो व्रजामहे
anāgatam anarthaṁ hi sunayair yaḥ prabādhayet | sa na saṁśayam āpnoti rocatāṁ bho vrajāmahe ||
“যে ব্যক্তি সুনীতি ও সদুপদেশে আসন্ন অনর্থকে আসার আগেই দূর করে দেয়, সে প্রাণহানির সংশয়ে পড়ে না। যদি আমার কথা তোমাদের ভালো লাগে, তবে চলো—অন্য এক জলাশয়ে যাই।”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Forethought is a mark of wise conduct: a person who neutralizes impending harm through sound policy and good counsel avoids the panic and uncertainty that arise when danger is allowed to mature.
Bhishma, in an instructive context, states a maxim about averting future calamity through prudent measures and then urges the listeners—if they accept his counsel—to move on to another water source (a practical step aligned with the teaching).