Shloka 50
Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā
Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative
नाच्छित्त्वा परमर्माणि नाकृत्वा कर्म दारुणम् | नाहत्वा मत्स्यघातीव प्राप्रोति महतीं श्रियम्
nācchittvā paramarmāṇi nākṛtvā karma dāruṇam | nāhatvā matsyaghātīva prāpnoti mahatīṃ śriyam ||
Bhīṣma said: One does not attain great prosperity without striking at vital points, without undertaking harsh deeds, and without slaying—like a fisherman who kills fish. The verse underscores a hard-edged realism: worldly success and power often arise from actions that wound, coerce, or destroy, raising a moral tension between dharma and the pursuit of śrī (fortune, sovereignty).
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a stark political-ethical observation: great worldly success (śrī) is rarely achieved without forceful measures—exploiting vulnerabilities, performing severe actions, and causing harm—creating tension with ideals of non-violence and righteousness.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma and practical governance after the war. Here he uses the fisherman analogy to illustrate that the acquisition and maintenance of power and prosperity often involve coercive or violent acts, even when such acts trouble moral sensibilities.