Shloka 12

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ तदा योजयेत परेषां व्यसने5थवा । एते हि योगा: सेनाया: प्रशस्ता: परबाधने

Transliteration

tasmāt tadā yojayet pareṣāṁ vyasane ’thavā | ete hi yogāḥ senāyāḥ praśastāḥ parabādhane ||

Translation

Bhīṣma says: Therefore one should set forth on campaign at that very time, or else at the moment when the enemy has fallen into distress; precisely on that occasion one should strike. For these are held to be the most commendable strategic openings for an army when the aim is to check and harass the foe.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, ablative, singular

• तदा: then/at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• योजयेत्: should deploy/should engage
• योजयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज्
• Form: optative (vidhiling), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• परेषाम्: of the enemies/others
• परेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: पर
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• व्यसने: in calamity/distress
• व्यसने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यसन
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• अथवा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा

• एते: these
• एते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• योगाः: deployments/strategic measures
• योगाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• सेनायाः: of the army
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: feminine, genitive, singular

• प्रशस्ताः: commended/excellent
• प्रशस्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रशस्त
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• परबाधने: in harassing/afflicting the enemy
• परबाधने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परबाधन
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• enemy (pareṣām)
• army (senā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma advises a king to choose the moment of action with strategic clarity: attack either immediately when conditions are ripe or specifically when the enemy is weakened by misfortune, since such timings are considered most effective for restraining the foe.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on practical statecraft and warfare, identifying favorable occasions for military deployment against an opponent.