Shloka 39
Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)
नदीमार्गेषु च तथा संक्रमानवसादयेत् । जलं विस्रावयेत् सर्वमविस्राव्यं च दूषयेत्
nadīmārgeṣu ca tathā saṅkramān avasādayet | jalaṃ visrāvayet sarvam avisrāvyaṃ ca dūṣayet ||
Bhīṣma said: “Likewise, one should obstruct the river-channels and render the fords unusable; one should drain away all the water, and whatever cannot be drained should be polluted.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights extreme coercive tactics—blocking waterways, disabling fords, draining or contaminating water—implicitly raising the dharmic question of limits in conflict and governance, since such acts harm civilians and the common good.
Bhīṣma, instructing on matters of policy and conflict, lists measures aimed at weakening an opponent by targeting water access and mobility—river routes and crossings—through obstruction, drainage, or pollution.