Shloka 16
धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas
चारयित्वा परबलं कृत्वा स्वबलदर्शनम् । स्वभूमौ योजयेद् युद्धं परभूमौ तथैव च,गुप्तचरोंद्वारा शत्रुसेनाकी जाँच-पड़ताल करके अपनी सैनिक-शक्तिका भी निरीक्षण करे। फिर अपनी या शत्रुकी भूमिपर युद्ध आरम्भ करे
cārayitvā parabalaṃ kṛtvā svabaladarśanam | svabhūmau yojayed yuddhaṃ parabhūmau tathaiva ca ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Having reconnoitred the enemy’s strength through secret agents and having reviewed one’s own forces, one should then engage in battle—whether on one’s own territory or on the enemy’s land.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Before initiating conflict, a ruler should act with disciplined prudence: gather reliable intelligence about the opponent and honestly assess one’s own capacity. Only after such scrutiny should war be undertaken, regardless of whether the battlefield lies on one’s own territory or the enemy’s.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks in a counsel-like tone, describing a practical sequence for warfare: first covert reconnaissance of the enemy, then review of one’s own troops, and finally the commencement of battle either at home or in hostile territory.