Shloka 40
Daṇḍa-svarūpa-nirūpaṇa
The Nature, Forms, and Function of Daṇḍa
हरेत कीर्ति धर्ममस्योपरुन्ध्या- दर्थे दीर्घ वीर्यमस्योपहन्यात् । रिपुर्देष्टा दुर्बलो वा बली वा तस्माच्छत्रोर्नैंव हीयेदू यतात्मा,द्वेष रखनेवाला शत्रु दुर्बल हो या बलवान, राजाकी कीर्ति नष्ट कर देता है, उसके धर्ममें बाधा पहुँचाता है तथा अर्थोपार्जनमें उसकी बढ़ी हुई शक्तिका विनाश कर डालता है; इसलिये मनको वशमें रखनेवाला राजा शत्रुकी ओरसे लापरवाह न रहे
bhīṣma uvāca | haret kīrtiṃ dharmam asyoparundhyād arthe dīrghaṃ vīryam asyopahanyāt | ripur dveṣṭā durbalo vā balī vā tasmāc chatror naiva hīyed u yatātmā ||
Bhishma said: A hostile enemy—whether weak or strong—can steal a king’s fame, obstruct his dharma, and even cripple his long-built capacity and power for acquiring wealth and securing the realm. Therefore, a self-controlled king should never grow negligent with respect to an enemy.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must remain vigilant toward enemies at all times; even a seemingly weak foe can damage reputation, disrupt righteous governance (dharma), and undermine prosperity and power (artha and vīrya). Self-control should be paired with strategic alertness, not complacency.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on rajadharma. Here he warns that an enemy’s malice can erode a king’s standing and capacity, so the king should not relax his guard.