Shloka 33

कालविभाग-निरूपणं तथा युद्धव्यवस्था

Time-Reckoning and Mobilization Counsel

Devanagari script

पण्डितान्‌ पृष्ठतः कृत्वा परेषां गुणवादिन: । विधीयतां तथा नीतिर्यथा वध्यो भवेत्‌ पर:,'शत्रुओंके गुणोंका बखान करनेवाले पण्डितोंको पीछे करके ऐसी नीति काममें लें, जिससे शत्रुका वध हो सके

Transliteration

paṇḍitān pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtvā pareṣāṃ guṇavādinaḥ | vidhīyatāṃ tathā nītir yathā vadhyo bhavet paraḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Stellt jene Gelehrten hinter euch, die nur die Tugenden des Feindes preisen, und wählt eine solche Politik, dass der Gegner zum Tode reif werde.“

Word by Word

पण्डितान्learned men

पृष्ठतःfrom behind / at the back

कृत्वाhaving placed/made

परेषाम्of others (here: of enemies)

गुणवादिनःpraisers / those who speak of merits

विधीयताम्let it be arranged / let it be done

तथाthus / in such a way

नीतिःpolicy / strategy

यथाso that / as

वध्यःto be slain / slayable

भवेत्may become / should be

परःthe other (here: the enemy)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

paṇḍitāḥ (learned counselors)

paraḥ/pareṣām (the enemy/foe)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In matters of conflict, policy should be guided by effective statecraft rather than by counselors who sentimentalize the opponent by praising his virtues; leadership must prioritize outcomes that protect one’s side, even when that requires hard, decisive measures.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a counsel being given: disregard advisers who keep extolling the enemy’s qualities and instead adopt a strategy designed to render the opponent vulnerable—so that the enemy can be decisively defeated (even slain) when necessary.