Shloka 58
ऋणशेषमग्निशेषं शत्रुशेषं तथैव च । पुन: पुन: प्रवर्धन्ते तस्माच्छेषं न धारयेत्,“ऋण, अग्नि और शत्रुमेंसे कुछ बाकी रह जाय तो वह बारंबार बढ़ता रहता है; इसलिये इनमेंसे किसीको शेष नहीं छोड़ना चाहिये
ṛṇaśeṣam agniśeṣaṃ śatruśeṣaṃ tathaiva ca | punaḥ punaḥ pravardhante tasmāc cheṣaṃ na dhārayet ||
Bhīṣma said: If any remainder is left of a debt, a fire, or an enemy, it repeatedly grows again. Therefore, one should not keep any ‘residue’ of these—do not leave them unfinished.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unresolved dangers and obligations tend to return and intensify: an unpaid debt accumulates, a half-extinguished fire flares up, and a partially defeated enemy regroups. Hence, one should complete what must be completed—settle debts, fully put out fires, and do not leave hostile threats in a state where they can revive.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and statecraft. This verse is a concise maxim within that counsel, emphasizing prudent, preventative action in governance and personal conduct.