Shloka 13
कुर्यात् तृणमयं चापं शयीत मृगशायिकाम् । सान्त्वादिभिरुपायैस्तु हन्याच्छत्रुं वशे स्थितम्,“ऐसे समयमें अपने धनुषको तिनकेके समान बना दे अर्थात् शत्रुकी दृष्टिमें सर्वथा दीन- हीन एवं असमर्थ बन जाय; परंतु व्याधकी भाँति सोये--अर्थात् जैसे व्याध झूठे ही नींदका बहाना करके सो जाता है और जब मृग विश्वस्त होकर आसपास चरने लगते हैं, तब उठकर उन्हें बाणोंसे घायल कर देता है, उसी प्रकार शत्रुको मारनेका अवसर देखते हुए ही अपने स्वरूप और मनोभावको छिपाकर असमर्थ पुरुषोंका-सा व्यवहार करे। इस प्रकार कपटपूर्ण बर्तावसे वशमें आये हुए शत्रुको साम आदि उपायोंसे विश्वास उत्पन्न करके मार डाले”
kuryāt tṛṇamayaṃ cāpaṃ śayīta mṛgaśāyikām | sāntvādibhir upāyais tu hanyāc chatruṃ vaśe sthitam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “At such a time one should make one’s bow as if it were made of grass—appearing utterly weak and incapable in the enemy’s eyes—and lie down like a hunter lying in wait for deer. Concealing one’s true strength and intention, one should behave like a powerless man; then, once the foe has been brought under control, one should win his confidence through conciliation and related stratagems and strike him down.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a hard-edged nīti principle: when facing a dangerous opponent, one may conceal one’s strength, appear harmless, and use conciliatory tactics to gain the enemy’s trust; once the enemy is fully under control, decisive action is taken. It highlights pragmatic statecraft rather than idealized open combat.
Vaiśaṃpāyana is describing a tactical method through vivid imagery: like a hunter who lies still until deer become unwary, a person should feign weakness (a ‘grass bow’), wait for the right moment, and then eliminate an enemy who has been brought into one’s power through sāman and related measures.