Shloka 11
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
नगर, जनपद तथा मल्ललोग जहाँ व्यायाम करते हों, उन स्थानोंमें ऐसी युक्तिसे गुप्तचर नियुक्त करने चाहिये, जिससे वे आपसमें भी एक-दूसरेको पहचान न सकें ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | cārāṃś ca vidyāt prahitān pareṇa bharatarṣabha | āpaṇeṣu vihāreṣu samājeṣu ca bhikṣuṣu ||
Bhishma said: “O bull among the Bharatas, the king should also identify the spies dispatched by the enemy. He should keep watch for them through his own agents in marketplaces, in places of recreation and public movement, in social gatherings and festivals, and even among groups of mendicants. Thus, by prudent and discreet intelligence-work, he safeguards the realm without disturbing public life.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must maintain discreet intelligence networks to detect enemy agents in ordinary public spaces (markets, promenades, assemblies, even among mendicants), thereby protecting the kingdom while minimizing disruption to civic life.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship (rājadharma), Bhishma advises the king (addressed as Bharatarṣabha) on practical governance: how to monitor society for hostile espionage and ensure internal security through counter-intelligence.