Shloka 25
मृदु-तीक्ष्ण-नीति तथा दुष्टलक्षण-विज्ञानम्
Measured Policy and the Recognition of Malicious Disposition
निहत्यैतानि चत्वारि मायां प्रति विधाय च । ततः शक््नोति शत्रूणां प्रहर्तुमविचारयन्
nihatyaitāni catvāri māyāṃ prati vidhāya ca | tataḥ śaknoti śatrūṇāṃ prahartum avicārayan |
Bhishma said: “Having destroyed these four faults and having also devised a countermeasure against the enemy’s deception, one then becomes capable of striking the foes without hesitation. The teaching is that victory and righteous statecraft require first conquering one’s own inner weaknesses and then meeting hostile stratagems with clear, prepared resolve.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Eliminate four debilitating weaknesses (as indicated in the accompanying gloss: softness/over-tenderness, excessive reliance on punishment as a blunt tool, laziness, and negligence) and prepare a response to an enemy’s stratagem; only then should one act decisively. The ethical point is that disciplined self-control and prudent preparedness precede force.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and conduct, Bhishma advises the listener on practical statecraft: first conquer internal faults, then neutralize the opponent’s deceptive tactics, and thereafter strike or act firmly without wavering when action is required.