Shloka 11
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
मूलमेवादितश्षछिन्द्यात् परपक्षस्य पण्डित: । ततः सहायान् पक्ष च मूलमेवानुसाधयेत्,“विद्वान् पुरुष पहले शत्रुपक्षके मूलका ही उच्छेद कर डाले। तत्पश्चात् उसके सहायकों और पक्षपातियोंको भी उस मूलके पथका ही अनुसरण करावे
bhīṣma uvāca | mūlam evāditaś chindyāt parapakṣasya paṇḍitaḥ | tataḥ sahāyān pakṣaṃ ca mūlam evānusādhayet |
Bhīṣma sprach: Ein Weiser soll von allem Anfang an die Wurzel der gegnerischen Partei abschneiden. Danach soll er auch ihre Helfer und Anhänger auf denselben Weg zwingen wie jene Wurzel—damit das Stützwerk des Feindes mitsamt seiner Quelle zusammenbricht.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
In statecraft and conflict-management, do not waste effort on symptoms; neutralize the enemy’s root cause—its leadership, base, or primary source of power—so that supporters and dependents naturally lose cohesion and can be brought under control.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship and policy, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on practical measures against hostile factions: first eliminate the central source of opposition, then deal with allies and partisans by aligning them to the outcome established at the root.