Shloka 27
कुर्यात् तृणमयं चापं शयीत मृगशायिकाम् । अन्ध: स्यादन्धवेलायां बाधिर्यमपि संश्रयेत्,“राजा बाँसका धनुष बनावे, हिरनके समान चौकन्ना होकर सोये, अंधा बने रहनेयोग्य समय हो तो अंधेका भाव किये रहे और अवसरके अनुसार बहरेका भाव भी स्वीकार कर ले
kuryāt tṛṇamayaṃ cāpaṃ śayīta mṛgaśāyikām | andhaḥ syād andhavelāyāṃ bādhiryam api saṃśrayet |
Bhīṣma said: “Let him fashion a bow made of grass; let him lie down on a deerskin, ever alert like a deer. When the time calls for it, let him behave as though blind; and, as occasion demands, let him even take refuge in the posture of deafness.” In ethical context, the counsel urges disciplined simplicity and vigilant self-protection, along with strategic restraint in speech and perception—knowing when to withhold reaction or disclosure for the sake of dharma and safety.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches disciplined simplicity and strategic restraint: a ruler (or prudent person) should live with minimal display, remain constantly alert, and know when to withhold response—sometimes ‘seeing’ and ‘hearing’ less (i.e., acting blind or deaf) to avoid danger, provocation, or the disclosure of sensitive matters, while preserving dharma.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on raja-dharma and practical governance. Here he gives a compact set of behavioral maxims—symbolic actions (a grass bow, deerskin bed) and tactical postures (acting blind/deaf when appropriate)—to illustrate vigilance, austerity, and prudent non-engagement in risky situations.