Shloka 18
मृदु-तीक्ष्ण-नीति तथा दुष्टलक्षण-विज्ञानम्
Measured Policy and the Recognition of Malicious Disposition
दीर्घकालमपीक्षेत निहन्यादेव शात्रवान् | कालाकाडुशभक्षी हि क्षपयेद् यथा विश्रम्भमाप्तुयु:
dīrghakālam apīkṣeta nिहanyād eva śātravān | kālākāḍuśabhakṣī hi kṣapayed yathā viśrambham āptuyuḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “Let him wait, even for a long time, merely watching for the right moment; but when the opportunity comes, he should indeed strike down his enemies. For one who ‘feeds on time’—who lives by timing and patience—can wear them down until they grow trusting and off-guard; then, having gained their confidence, he destroys them.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches strategic patience in rājadharma: one may delay action to secure the right time, allowing opponents to become complacent and trusting, and then decisively neutralize them. It highlights kāla (timing) as a decisive factor in political and military success, even when it involves calculated deception.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on kingship and governance, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on dealing with hostile forces. He recommends waiting and observing until conditions are favorable, fostering the enemy’s sense of security, and then striking when the opportunity is assured.