Shloka 13
जनकस्य युद्धोपदेशः — Janaka’s Instruction on Steadfast Battle-Conduct
राजर्षि जनक अपने सैनिकोंको स्वर्ग और नरककी बात कह रहे हैं पुनरावर्तमानानां निराशानां च जीविते । वेग: सुदुःसहो राजंस्तस्मान्नात्यनुसारयेत्
punarāvartanānāṃ nirāśānāṃ ca jīvite | vegaḥ suduḥsaho rājan tasmān nātyanusārayet ||
Bhīṣma said: “O king, for those who keep returning to the cycle of peril, and for those who have lost hope even of life, the rush of desperation becomes almost unbearable. Therefore, O ruler, one should not press them too hard or drive them beyond measure.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should recognize that people driven by repeated hardship and loss of hope can act with uncontrollable force; therefore governance must avoid excessive pressure and instead apply restraint and humane judgment.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma and kingship in the Śānti Parva, he warns the king about the dangerous momentum of desperation and counsels against pushing distressed people beyond endurance.