Shloka 16
तुम बुद्धिमानोंके विश्वासभाजन बनकर अपने महाशत्रुके राज्यमें सानन्द विचरण करो और कुत्ते, हिरन, तथा कौओंकी तरह” चौकन्ने रहकर निरर्थक बर्तावोंद्वारा विदेहराजके प्रति मित्रधर्मका पालन करो ।। आरम्भांश्वास्य महतो दुश्चरांश्व प्रयोजय । नदीवच्च विरोधांश्व बलवद्धिर्विरुध्यताम्,शत्रुको इतने बड़े-बड़े कार्य करनेकी प्रेरणा दो, जिनका पूरा होना अत्यन्त कठिन हो और बलवान् राजाओंके साथ शत्रुका ऐसा विरोध करा दो, जो किसी विशाल नदीके समान अत्यन्त दुस्तर हो
Bhīṣma uvāca: tvaṁ buddhimānāṁ viśvāsabhājanaṁ bhūtvā svamahāśatro rājyamadhye sānandaṁ vicarasva; śva-mṛga-kāka-vat ca sāvadhāno bhūtvā nirarthaka-ceṣṭābhiḥ Videharājaṁ prati mitradharmaṁ pālaya. ārambhāṁś ca asya mahato duścarāṁś ca prayojaya; nadīvat ca virodhāṁś ca balavadbhir virudhyatām.
Bhishma said: “Become a person in whom the wise place their trust, and move about cheerfully within the realm of your great enemy. Yet remain as watchful as a dog, a deer, or a crow; and by seemingly pointless, harmless actions, keep up the outward duties of friendship toward the king of Videha. At the same time, urge him to undertake grand enterprises that are extremely hard to accomplish, and contrive for him conflicts with powerful kings—conflicts as difficult to cross as a great river.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma outlines a hard-edged principle of rajaniti: maintain the outward form of friendship and trustworthiness while remaining constantly vigilant, and weaken an enemy indirectly by steering him into overambitious projects and entangling conflicts with stronger powers—thus exhausting his resources without open breach at first.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance, Bhishma advises a policy of covert maneuvering: the agent (or ruler) should circulate within the enemy’s realm as a trusted friend of the Videha king, masking intent through innocuous behavior, while quietly engineering situations that overextend the enemy and provoke formidable rivalries.