Shloka 2
उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः
Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment
भीष्म उवाच सत्येन हि स्थितो धर्म उपपत्त्या तथा परे । साध्वाचारतया केचित् तथैवौपयिकादपि
bhīṣma uvāca satyena hi sthito dharma upapattyā tathā pare | sādhvācāratayā kecit tathaivaupāyikād api ||
Bhishma said: O King, some hold that dharma stands firm only upon truth. Others maintain that dharma is established through sound reasoning and proper justification. Some say dharma endures through noble conduct and exemplary practice; and many also accept that dharma can be upheld by practical means—such as conciliation and gifts—employed as circumstances allow.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma presents multiple foundations proposed for dharma—truth, rational justification, exemplary conduct, and practical expedients—showing that thinkers explain dharma’s stability through different but complementary lenses.
In the Shanti Parva dialogue, Bhishma instructs King Yudhishthira on dharma after the war, here summarizing various viewpoints about what most firmly establishes and sustains dharma in life and governance.