Shloka 5
प्रयास्यमानो नृपतिस्त्रिविधां परिचिन्तयेत् । आत्मनश्वैव शत्रोश्व शक्ति शास्त्रविशारद:,शत्रुपर चढ़ाई करनेवाले शास्त्रविशारद राजाको अपनी और शत्रुकी त्रिविध शक्तियोंपर भलीभाँति विचार कर लेना चाहिये
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | prayāsyamāno nṛpatis trividhāṃ paricintayet | ātmanaś caiva śatroś ca śaktiṃ śāstraviśāradaḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “When a king is about to set out on a campaign, he—being well-versed in the science of polity and warfare—should carefully reflect on the threefold power of both himself and his enemy.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Before initiating aggression or a military march, a ruler must practice disciplined deliberation: assess, in a structured way, the threefold strengths and resources of both sides, so that action is guided by knowledge rather than impulse.
In Āśramavāsika Parva, Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks in a reflective, advisory tone, articulating principles of kingship and conduct; here he states a rule of prudent statecraft for a king preparing to attack or march against an enemy.