Shloka 23
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
वर्जनीयं सदा युद्ध राज्यकामेन धीमता । उपायैस्त्रिभिरादानमर्थस्याह बृहस्पति:,जो बुद्धिमान् राजा राज्यका हित चाहे, उसे सदा युद्धको टालनेका ही प्रयत्न करना चाहिये। नरेश्वर! बृहस्पतिजीने साम, दान और भेद--इन तीन उपायोंसे ही राजाके लिये धनकी आय बतायी है। इन उपायोंसे जो धन प्राप्त किया जा सके, उसीसे विद्वान् राजाको संतुष्ट होना चाहिये
varjanīyaṃ sadā yuddhaṃ rājyakāmena dhīmatā | upāyais tribhir ādānam arthasyāha bṛhaspatiḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: A wise ruler who desires the kingdom should always strive to avoid war. Bṛhaspati has declared that a king’s acquisition of wealth should be through three means—conciliation, gifts, and sowing dissension. The learned king should be content with whatever wealth can be obtained by these methods, rather than seeking gain through warfare.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king seeking stable sovereignty should avoid war and pursue prosperity through non-violent political means—conciliation (sāma), strategic giving (dāna), and calibrated division of hostile forces (bheda)—remaining content with wealth gained through these methods.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma advises the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) and cites Bṛhaspati as an authority, emphasizing that war should be a last resort and that governance should prioritize peaceful strategies for securing resources and stability.