Shloka 15
उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः
Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment
अग्रतः पुरुषानीकं शक्तं चापि कुलोद्धवम् | आवासस्तोयवान् दुर्ग: पर्याकाश: प्रशस्यते
agratāḥ puruṣānīkaṃ śaktaṃ cāpi kulodbhavam | āvāsa-stoya-vān durgaḥ paryākāśaḥ praśasyate ||
Bhīṣma says: One should place at the very front a body of infantry that is both strong and of noble lineage. And for protection against the enemy, the troops’ quarters or fortress is praised when it is hard to approach, surrounded by water-filled moats and a high rampart, and when there is open space all around—so that defense and vigilance are maintained without obstruction.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective protection of the realm requires disciplined military arrangement (placing strong, reliable infantry in the vanguard) and sound fortification principles: a fortress that is difficult to approach, protected by water defenses and strong walls, with clear open surroundings for visibility and control.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma is advising the king on practical measures of security—how to deploy troops and what features make a camp or fortress defensible against enemy attack.