Shloka 10
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
पुरे जनपदे चैव तथा सामन्तराजसु | यथा न विद्युरन्योन्यं प्रणिधेयास्तथा हि ते
pure janapade caiva tathā sāmantarājasu | yathā na vidyur anyonyaṁ praṇidhe yās tathā hi te ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „In der Stadt und auf dem Land, ebenso unter den benachbarten Königen, sollen die bestellten Agenten so eingesetzt werden, dass sie einander nicht erkennen. Denn so werden sie ihren Zweck wahrhaft erfüllen.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma advises a ruler to deploy intelligence agents across the capital, provinces, and neighboring courts in a compartmentalized way—agents should not know each other—so that the network remains secure and effective.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma is outlining practical measures of governance for the king, here emphasizing covert administration and the protection of the realm through discreet, non-interlinked informants.