Shloka 8
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 29 — Suśarmā’s Counsel and the Coordinated Goharaṇa Plan
तस्माद् बल॑ च कोषश्न नीतिश्लापि विधीयताम् । यथा कालोदये प्राप्ते सम्यक् तैः संदधामहे,“अत: इस समय तुम्हें अपनी सेना, कोष और नीति ऐसी बनायी रखनी चाहिये, जिससे समय आनेपर हम उनके साथ यथावत् सन्धि (मेल अथवा बाण-संधान) कर सकें
tasmād balaṃ ca kośaś ca nītiś ca api vidhīyatām | yathā kālodaye prāpte samyak taiḥ saṃdadhāmahe ||
Darum halte deine Heeresmacht, deinen Schatz und deine Staatskunst in rechter Ordnung, damit wir, wenn die rechte Zeit anbricht, ihnen angemessen begegnen können — sei es durch ein kluges Bündnis, sei es durch den Kampf mit wohlgezielter Kraft.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler (or leader) must maintain three pillars—force (bala), resources (kośa), and policy (nīti)—in readiness, so that when the opportune time arrives (kālodaya) one can respond ethically and effectively, choosing peace or war as circumstances demand.
Vaiśampāyana reports counsel urging preparedness: keep the army, treasury, and political strategy well-ordered now, so that later—when the decisive moment comes—‘we’ can properly engage the opposing side, either by making a suitable compact or by entering conflict with effective coordination.