Shloka 12
Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa
The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa
उच्छितान् नाशयेत् स्फीतान् नरेन्द्रानचलोपमान् । श्रयेच्छायामविज्ञातां गुप्तं रणमुपाश्रयेत्,पर्ववके समान ऊँचा सिर करके अविचलभावसे बैठे हुए धनी नरेशोंको नष्ट करे। उनको जताये बिना ही उनकी छायाका आश्रय ले अर्थात् उनके सरदारोंसे मिलकर उनमें फूट डाल दे और गुप्तरूपसे अवसर देखकर उनके साथ युद्ध छेड़ दे
ucchitān nāśayet sphītān narendrān acalopamān | śrayecchāyām avijñātāṁ guptaṁ raṇam upāśrayet ||
Bhishma said: “He should bring down those lofty, prosperous kings—monarchs firm as mountains. Without letting them realize it, he should take shelter in their ‘shade’ (that is, work under the cover of their influence), and then, choosing the right moment, resort to a concealed mode of warfare.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a hard-edged principle of rājadharma/rājanīti: when facing powerful, entrenched rulers, one may rely on indirect means—operating under their cover without being detected and employing covert, opportunistic strategy—rather than open confrontation.
In Śānti Parva, Bhishma instructs on kingship and political strategy. Here he outlines how a weaker or aspiring power might undermine strong, prosperous kings: infiltrate their sphere of influence unnoticed and then initiate conflict in a concealed, well-timed manner.