Shloka 13
Vetasa-Nīti: The Reed and the Flood (वेतस-नीति)
सारासारं बल वीर्यमात्मनो द्विषतश्न यः । जानन् विचरति प्राज्ञो न स याति पराभवम्
sārāsāraṃ bala-vīryam ātmanaḥ dviṣataś ca yaḥ | jānan vicarati prājño na sa yāti parābhavam ||
Bhishma said: The wise ruler who understands what is essential and what is non-essential—both in himself and in his enemy—and who knows their respective strength and prowess, and then conducts himself accordingly, does not fall into defeat.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler avoids defeat by discerning essentials from non-essentials and by realistically assessing both his own and the enemy’s strength and prowess, then acting in alignment with that knowledge.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship (rājadharma), Bhishma advises Yudhishthira that victory and stability depend on clear-eyed assessment and appropriate conduct rather than impulse or pride.