Shloka 29
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
कालाकालौ सम्प्रधार्य बलाबलमथात्मन: । परस्य च बल ज्ञात्वा तत्रात्मानं नियोजयेत्
kālā-kālau sampradhārya balābalam athātmanaḥ | parasya ca balaṃ jñātvā tatrātmānaṃ niyojayet ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Nachdem man sorgfältig erwogen hat, ob die Zeit günstig oder ungünstig ist und ob die eigene Seite stark oder schwach steht—und nachdem man auch die Stärke des Gegners erkannt hat—soll man sich dementsprechend dem rechten Vorgehen widmen, sei es Krieg oder Frieden.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sound policy begins with sober assessment: judge the timing (favorable/unfavorable), measure one’s own strength and weakness, and also understand the opponent’s power; only then should one choose and commit to war or to peace.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship and conduct, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on practical statecraft: decisions like making war or concluding peace must be based on careful evaluation of circumstances and relative power.