Shloka 14
Gaṇānāṃ Vṛttiḥ — On the Sustenance and Cohesion of Assemblies
Gaṇa-nīti
भेदे गणा विनेशुर्हि भिन्नास्तु सुजया: परै: | तस्मात् संघातयोगेन प्रयतेरन् गणा: सदा
bhede gaṇā vineśur hi bhinnās tu sujayāḥ paraiḥ | tasmāt saṅghātayogena prayateran gaṇāḥ sadā ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Wahrlich, durch innere Spaltung gehen Bündnisse und Republiken (gaṇas) zugrunde. Sind sie erst entzweit, werden sie von ihren Feinden leicht bezwungen. Darum sollen die Sippen und Versammlungen stets nach dem Sieg streben, indem sie geeint bleiben—verbunden in gemeinsamem Zweck und einem einzigen Entschluss.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Internal unity is the lifeline of a polity: factions and splits destroy even strong assemblies, while solidarity and coordinated effort make victory possible.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and public welfare, Bhishma advises the listener that republics and corporate clans collapse through infighting; enemies prevail easily over a divided community, so leaders must preserve consensus and collective discipline.