Shloka 68
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
पण्डितेन विरुद्ध: सन् दूरस्थो5स्मीति नाश्वसेत् । दीर्घो बुद्धिमतो बाहू याभ्यां हिंसति हिंसित:
paṇḍitena viruddhaḥ san dūrastho ’smīti nāśvaset | dīrgho buddhimato bāhū yābhyāṃ hiṃsati hiṃsitaḥ ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Hat man sich einen Weisen zum Feind gemacht, soll man sich nicht in Sicherheit wiegen und denken: ‚Ich bin weit weg.‘ Denn lang sind die Arme des Verständigen: Wird ihm Unrecht getan, kann er mit weitreichenden Mitteln zurückschlagen und selbst aus der Ferne Verderben über seinen Gegner bringen.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not underestimate a wise and capable person after provoking him. Physical distance does not guarantee safety, because intelligence creates ‘long arms’—strategies, alliances, influence, and timely countermeasures that can reach far.
In Bhishma’s instruction discourse in the Shanti Parva, he offers a cautionary maxim: once one has entered into hostility with a paṇḍita (a discerning, resourceful person), one should not relax merely because one is geographically distant; the wronged wise person can retaliate effectively even from afar.