एतासां चतसृणामापदामभ्यन्तरामेव पूर्वं साधयेत् ॥ कZ_०९.५.३० ॥
etāsāṃ catasṛṇām āpadām abhyantarām eva pūrvaṃ sādhayet
Of these four methods (sāma, dāna, bheda, daṇḍa) in crises, he should first secure the internal one (the internal danger/problem).
Stabilize internal order first; external action is unreliable if the state’s interior is divided, disloyal, or administratively broken.