Shloka 18

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

उपन्यासावतरणं पदातीनां च गूहनम्‌ | अथ शत्रुप्रतीघातमापदर्थ परायणम्‌

Transliteration

upanyāsāvataraṇaṁ padātīnāṁ ca gūhanam | atha śatrupratīghātam āpadartha-parāyaṇam

Translation

Bhishma said: “One should arrange a planned approach and deployment, conceal the movements of the infantry, and then strike back against the enemy—acting with single-minded resolve for the sake of meeting an emergency.”

Word by Word

• उपन्यास: placing/arranging; deployment
• उपन्यास: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपन्यास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अवतरणम्: descent; dismounting; bringing down
• अवतरणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतरण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पदातीनाम्: of the foot-soldiers/infantry
• पदातीनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदाति
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• गूहनम्: concealment; hiding
• गूहनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गूहन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अथ: then; next
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• शत्रु: of the enemy
• शत्रु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रतीघातम्: repulse; counter-attack; striking back
• प्रतीघातम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीघात
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आपदर्थ: for the sake of emergency/need
• आपदर्थ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपदर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परायणम्: as a last resort; having recourse to
• परायणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परायण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• śatru (enemy)
• padāti (infantry)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In times of danger, a ruler/commander should act with practical focus: deploy forces with forethought, keep troop movements concealed, and deliver a timely counter-stroke—prioritizing the immediate objective of overcoming the emergency.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma continues his instruction on rājadharma and statecraft, outlining concrete battlefield measures—deployment, concealment of infantry, and counterattack—framed as guidance for handling crises effectively.