Shloka 24
अनिश्चयो हि युद्धेषु द्वयोविंवदमानयो: । एक: प्राप्रोति विजयमेकश्नैव पराजयम्,जब दो व्यक्तियोंमें विवाद एवं युद्ध छिड़ जाता है, तब किसकी जीत होगी--इसका कोई निश्चय नहीं रहता है। उनमेंसे एक पक्ष विजयी होता है और दूसरेको पराजय प्राप्त होती है
aniścayo hi yuddheṣu dvayor vivadamānayoḥ | ekaḥ prāpnoti vijayam ekaś caiva parājayam ||
Bhīṣma said: In battles between two contending parties, the outcome is never certain. When a dispute flares into war, one side attains victory and the other inevitably meets defeat.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
War between rivals has no guaranteed outcome; since victory and defeat are uncertain and costly, one should be cautious about escalating disputes into violence and should prefer restraint and wise counsel.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct and statecraft; here he underscores a practical moral lesson: once conflict becomes war, certainty vanishes and one party will suffer defeat.