Shloka 8
Adharmic Victory as Unstable; Rules of Restraint, Mediation, and Conciliation (अधर्मविजय-अध्रुवत्व तथा क्षमा-नयः)
अनीकयो: संहतयोर्यदीयाद् ब्राह्मणो<न्तरा । शान्तिमिच्छन्नुभयतो न योद्धव्यं तदा भवेत्,दोनों ओरकी सेनाओंके भिड़ जानेपर यदि उनके बीचमें संधि करानेकी इच्छासे ब्राह्मण आ जाय तो दोनों पक्षवालोंको तत्काल युद्ध बंद कर देना चाहिये
anīkayoḥ saṁhatayor yadīyād brāhmaṇo 'ntarā | śāntim icchann ubhayato na yoddhavyaṁ tadā bhavet ||
দুই সেনা মুখোমুখি হয়ে সংঘর্ষে লিপ্ত হলে, যদি শান্তি স্থাপনের অভিপ্রায়ে কোনো ব্রাহ্মণ মাঝখানে এসে দাঁড়ান, তবে সেই মুহূর্তে উভয় পক্ষেরই যুদ্ধ থামানো উচিত।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid active combat, dharma requires restraint: if a brāhmaṇa enters as a peace-seeker and mediator, both sides must cease fighting, honoring the priority of reconciliation and the protection of a non-combatant messenger of peace.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on righteous conduct (especially norms of warfare and governance), he states a specific rule: when armies are engaged, the arrival of a brāhmaṇa between them with the intent to broker peace obligates both parties to stop the battle immediately.